OUT  OF-A 
•CLEAR- 

•SKY- 


•IS 


WUlt.  Of  CALIF.  LIBRARY.  LOS 


[See  page  2 


OUT  OF 
A  CLEAR  SKY 


A    NOVEL 


BY 

MARIA  THOMPSON   DAVIESS 

AUTHOR  OF 

"  OVER     PARADISE   RIDGE  " 

"THE  MELTING  OF  MOLLY" 

ETC.  ETC. 


HARPER  y  BROTHERS  PUBLISHERS 

NEW    YORK    AND     LONDON 


Our  OF  A  CLEAR  SKY 

Copyright,  1916,  1917.  by  Harper  &  Brothers 
Printed  in  the  United  States  of  America 
Published  May.  1917 

A-R 


TO 

PASCAL    COWAN,  'SQUIRE 

OF    SWEETBRIAR    FARM 


2130813 


OUT  OF  A  CLEAR  SKY 


I   THROW   MYSELF   INTO   AMERICA 

OH,  I  am  afraid,  afraid!  I  cannot!"  I 
cried,  when  my  Mees  Jane  Forsythe  led 
me  to  the  door  of  that  railway  train  and  told  me 
to  jump  off  quickly  into  the  great  gold-and-red 
forest,  while  the  engine  to  the  front  of  us  drank 
water  out  of  a  large,  tall  receptacle  that  she 
said  to  be  a  tank. 

"Jump  quickly  and  hide  behind  those 
bushes,"  she  urged  me  with  a  fierceness.  "This 
is  America,  and  whoever  passes  will  save  you. 
Remember  the  grave  in  Devonshire.  Never 
let  them  find  you.  Don't  write  to  me;  I'll 
be  watched.  You  have  the  leather  bag  in  your 
satchel.  Now  jump,  the  train  is  moving!" 

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OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

And  because  she  so  sacredly  urged  me,  I  threw 
myself  off  into — America.  The  huge  black 
train  retreated  away  into  the  forest,  and  I 
crouched  behind  a  large,  prostrate  tree — alone. 

All  the  deep  woods  about  me  were  red  and 
gold  and  purple,  and  tall  yellow-plumed  flowers 
grew  up  around  my  refuge  as  if  they  were  friends 
who  had  sprung  up  to  hide  me  from  my  enemies, 
if  their  sharp  eyes  should  look  back  to  spy  me 
from  the  windows  of  that  train.  A  little  animal 
that  is  much  like  those  in  the  park  in  Kensing- 
ton hopped  on  the  tree  quite  near  to  me  and 
made  a  curl  in  his  tail  over  his  back  as  he  chat- 
tered in  welcome,  while  a  bird,  above  in  the 
branches,  sang  with  the  beauty  of  a  hymn  in  a 
cathedral  into  the  white  clouds  floating  over 
the  tops  of  the  trees.  But  in  all  the  loveliness 
I  was  crouched  in  fear  and  wept.  How  long  I 
shed  tears  I  do  not  know,  but  a  very  sudden 
noise  in  the  tall  yellow  flowers  across  the  fallen 
tree  made  me  to  look  up,  and  I  discovered  the 
eyes  of  that  Meester  Bob  Lawrence  looking  at 
me  with  a  great  kindness,  also  a  dog  of  as  great 
beauty  as  the  man.  I  now  know  her  to  be 
called  Shep  dog,  and  I  cherish  her  in  my  heart 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

exceedingly.  Also  a  very  large  horse  looked 
over  the  shoulder  of  his  master  at  me  with  a 
fine  gentleness.  I  felt  the  greatness  of  my  fear 
to  be  passing  even  before  that  very  good  and 
kind  Meester  Bob  spoke  to  me  and  said : 

' '  Hello ,  little  girl !  Are  you  lost  ?  Want  some- 
body to  find  you?"  That  Meester  Bob  has  a 
voice  that  puts  an  end  to  fear — like  my  mother's 
hand  in  the  dark  of  night. 

"Oh  no,  Monsieur,  it  is  that  nobody  must 
find  me  now.  I  run !  Hide  me,  if  it  please  you, 
in  some  dark  place.  I  am  in  great  fear."  And 
I  trembled  as  I  held  up  my  hands  to  that  tall 
man  and  the  kind  horse  and  sympathetic  dog  in 
supplication  while  I  further  wept. 

"There,  there,  little  girl,  don't  cry!  Nobody 
can  get  past  Bob  Lawrence  to  hurt  a  kiddie  like 
you,"  made  answer  to  me  that  kind  Meester 
Bob,  and  that  good  Shep  dog  came  over  the 
tall  flowers,  that  I  now  know  to  call  goldenrod, 
to  make  the  attempt  to  remove  my  tears  from 
my  cheek  with  her  warm  tongue,  which  caused 
much  less  weeping.  At  the  same  time  Meester 
Bob  sat  down  not  so  far  from  me  so  that  his 
nearness  made  me  tremble  much  the  less. 

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OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

' '  Did  you  drop  off  that  express  by  accident  or 
because  you  liked  this  place  to  land  in?"  he 
made  demand  of  me  with  a  softness  of  voice. 

"Do  not  ask  me  to  tell  you  all,  Monsieur;  it 
is  my  dishonor,"  I  made  answer  to  him  as  I 
rose  to  my  feet  as  tall  as  is  possible  to  me  and 
looked  in  his  good  eyes  with  a  steadiness.  "I 
am  Celeste  de  Berseck  and  Krymn,,and  I  seek 
refuge  in  your  great  woods.  Will  you  hide  me 
in  some  deepness  that  nobody  can  discover?  I 
am  in  danger." 

"I  will  protect  you  with  my  life,  Madame,  and 
hide  you,  if  necessary,  as  best  I  can,"  answered 
that  Meester  Bob  as  he,  too,  arose  and  stood 
with  as  great  a  stateliness  and  ceremony  as  did 
I,  and  as  if  he  wore  the  sword  of  the  Guards 
at  his  side  and  was  ready  to  bow  me  from  the 
great  dining-hall  at  Krymnwolde.  "Will  you 
tell  me  just  what  you  fear  and  from  what  direc- 
tion, so  that  I  may  be  able  to  render  you  assist- 
ance with  intelligence?" 

"A  gentleman  will  come  off  that  train  and 
make  search  for  me  as  soon  as  it  is  discovered 
that  I  disappear.  I  must  go  far  from  here  with 
great  rapidity,  and  I  am — am  afraid  to  go 

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OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

alone."  Again  the  tears  came  and  my  hand 
made  such  a  trembling  that  the  good  Shep  dog 
came  to  press  at  my  side  and  warmly  mouth 
over  my  cold  fingers.  Then  a  strange  lessening 
of  the  fear  came  upon  me,  even  though  that 
man  across  that  tree,  at  no  distance  from  me, 
was  one  whom  I  had  never  seen  before  or  an- 
other at  all  like  unto  him.  He  was  tall  and  fair 
with  deepness  of  black-lashed  gray  eyes,  as  have 
the  Irish,  but  his  hair  had  the  red  gold  of  the 
forest  trees.  He  was  clad  in  the  shirt  of  gray 
flannel  and  riding  corduroys  of  a  forester,  but 
did  display  the  manner  and  voice  of  a  very 
fine  gentleman,  also  with  a  great  compassion 
of  eye  that  seemed  that  of  the  own  father  of  a 
frightened  girl  or  of  some  great  priest  of  the 
Holy  Church.  No,  I  had  seen  no  other  man 
like  unto  him. 

"You  shall  go  with  me,  little  one,  and  you'll 
have  no  reason  to  fear  anything.  I'm  Robert 
Lawrence,  and  I'm  at  your  service  and  so  is  Shep 
here,  and  also  Goodboy.  You  chose  your  place 
well  to  make  a  getaway.  You  are  about  twelve 
hours  from  the  nearest  habitation  as  the  crow 
flies,  and  it  will  be  some  journey  to  get  across  to 

5 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

Steve's  cabin  with  all  night  travel.  Shall  we 
start?"  And  it  was  very  good  to  me  to  hear 
this  man  speak  as  if  it  was  most  natural  to 
have  Celeste  de  Krymn  drop  from  the  clouds 
to  journey  through  his  huge  forest  with  him 
and  that  Shep  dog  and  the  large,  gentle  Good- 
boy  horse. 

"I  go  with  you,  Monsieur — Monsieur — no,  it 
is  Meester — is  it  Robert  of  Lawrence?  I  do  not 
know  exactly  how  I  must  name  you,"  I  said, 
with  a  greatness  of  confusion  that  made  a  beauti- 
ful smile  come  to  his  kind  face. 

"Just  Bob  will  do  if  the  other  name  twists 
your  tongue,"  he  answered  me  with  a  laugh 
that  was  very  warm  to  my  tired  spirit  and  that 
made  me  to  smile  a  very  nice  smile.  "Now 
I  am  going  to  strap  this  blanket  on  Goodboy 
and  you  can  ride  as  comfortably  here  behind 
as  if  you  were  in  a  rocking-chair.  We'll  have  to 
go  slowly.  Give  me  your  satchel  and  I'll 
tether  it  on  the  front  of  the  saddle."  And 
during  the  time  he  was  speaking  he  was  ar- 
ranging the  horse  for  my  comfort. 

"Goodboy  is  not  accustomed  to  carry  double, 
so  I'll  have  to  get  up  first,  and  then  will  you 

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OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

step  up  on  my  foot  ?  Can  you,  Miss — er — Miss 
Celeste?"  asked  that  Meester  Bob,  with  so 
encouraging  a  smile  that  I  laughed  in  return 
to  him  while  he  mounted  on  to  the  Goodboy 
horse  and  then  held  down  his  hand  to  me. 

"That's  the  skim  and  dip  of  a  bird,"  he  said 
as  he  swung  me  to  my  place  behind  him  and 
steadied  me  while  that  Goodboy  made  two 
steps  to  the  side  and  one  back  as  if  in  a  waltz. 
"Now,  go  on,  Goodboy,  and  show  the  lady 
your  best  pace."  I  like  it  the  way  kind  Meester 
Bob  converses  with  that  good  horse  and  Shep 
dog  very  like  he  does  to  me. 

And  a  big  round  sun  was  just  getting  very 
near  to  behind  the  much-colored  tops  of  the  trees 
when  we  started  through  that  great  forest  by 
no  path  at  all,  except  when  that  Meester  Bob 
made  observations  at  that  sun  and  then  away 
to  a  purple  mountain  that  could  at  times  be 
seen  in  spaces  among  the  trees.  And  as  that 
Goodboy  horse  went  rapidly  forward  under  the 
tallness  of  the  trees  and  across  small  streams, 
I  held  myself  on  to  the  back  of  him  by  a  firm 
grasp  of  that  Meester  Bob  in  the  back  while  he 
at  times  and  again  did  caution  me — 

7 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

"Hold  fast,  child,  while  we  scramble  here!" 

Also  the  good  Shep  dog  was  of  a  great  comfort 
to  me  that  she  ran  at  the  edge  of  my  skirt  and 
continually  put  nose  to  my  shoes  with  a  nice 
friendliness.  Much  of  the  time  I  did  not  weep 
because  of  a  great  delight  in  many  birds  that 
funny  Meester  Bob  called  with  his  whistle  to 
circle  around  our  heads  as  we  went  always  for- 
ward with  much  carefulness  on  the  part  of  the 
Goodboy  horse,  to  whom  his  master  did  con- 
tinually speak  with  kindly  directions. 

At  one  time  we  arrived  at  a  large  stream  and 
that  kind  Meester  Bob  directed  me  that  I 
should  rise  and  kneel  on  the  broad  back  of  the 
Goodboy  horse  and  hold  to  his  own  shoulders 
so  that  I  should  remain  dry.  The  Shep  dog 
swam  beside  us,  and  I  found  that  I  laughed 
when  she  shook  the  water  from  out  her  eyes  so 
that  the  drops  descended  in  a  shower  upon  me 
and  upon  that  Meester  Bob.  Then  quickly 
I  said  in  my  heart: 

"How  is  it  that  you  laugh,  Celeste,  in  such 
sorrow  and  danger?"  A  sob  made  me  an 
answer  to  myself. 

"Laugh  and  cry  both,  little  girl;  that's  the 
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OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

woman  version  of  emotion,"  said  that  kind 
Meester  Bob  as  he  turned  and  assisted  me  to 
slide  down  on  to  my  seat  on  the  Goodboy  horse 
after  we  had  mounted  the  very  steep  bank  of 
the  small  river. 

I  did  not  make  answer  to  that  remark,  but  held 
to  the  coat  of  Meester  Bob  very  firmly  as  we 
passed  over  many  large  stones.  Then  again  in 
my  heart  I  questioned  myself  to  know  if  there 
exist  many  men  the  like  of  this  Meester  Bob 
who  had  shown  such  great  kindness  to  me  and 
against  whom  I  then  in  so  short  a  time  held  no 
fear  at  all.  I  am  very  ignorant  concerning 
gentlemen.  My  love  for  my  honored  father 
was  most  beautiful,  but  I  had  not  much  of 
conversation  with  him  ever  or  with  any  of  his 
gentlemen  in  waiting  or  his  guests  at  Krymn- 
wolde.  At  my  school  in  Devonshire  the  young 
Sir  Julian  Hampton,  who  played  the  tennis 
with  me  at  the  permission  of  my  dear  Mees 
Jane  in  her  presence,  and  also  his  good  friend, 
Sir  Arthur  Cheetwood,  who  also  desired  always 
to  play  with  me,  are  not  in  any  way  the  same 
as  this  very  strange  and  large  man  that  I  have 
found  and  that  has  found  me  in  this  great  wood 

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OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

in  America.  I  pondered  him  deeply  as  I  clung 
to  his  arm  on  descending  a  ravine,  and  I  can 
make  no  answer  to  myself. 

And  to  me  this  also  is  of  a  great  confusion. 
Upon  the  terrible  ship  in  which  my  dearMees 
Jane  Forsythe  and  I  fled  from  my  wicked  uncle 
Dyreck,  that  very  nice  Prince  Louis  Augustus, 
who  was  my  enemy  in  company  with  my  uncle, 
did  continually  seek  to  do  kindness  to  me  in  the 
minutes  in  which  my  dear  Mees  Jane  lay  pros- 
trated with  the  sickness  of  the  sea,  but  he  spoke 
to  me  with  fear  of  me  and  an  entreaty  in  his 
eyes  for  something  that  I  did  not  know  what  it 
was  that  I  might  give  it.  I  felt  great  sympathy 
for  his  beautiful  poetry  in  moonlight  behind  a 
chimney  of  the  ship,  with  my  dear  Mees  Jane 
Forsythe  prostrate  under  the  deck,  and  I  do 
now  regard  him  with  a  great  tenderness  which 
it  is  strange  to  feel  for  an  enemy  that  pursues, 
but  I  am  most  glad  in  riding  through  a  strange 
forest  to  cling  to  a  man  who  says  "little  girl," 
and  "sit  tight  here"  to  me  with  no  more  cere- 
mony or  kindness  than  he  uses  in  speech  with 
the  fine  Goodboy  horse  or  the  kind  Shep  dog. 
I  felt  a  confidence  to  be  as  a  horse  or  a  dog. 

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OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

And  at  that  moment  of  meditation  upon  the 
strangeness  of  gentlemen  I  became  so  full  of 
sleep  from  a  great  fatigue  that  I  laid  my  head 
against  that  broad  back  of  Meester  Bob  so 
that  I  might  not  fall  from  the  nice  Goodboy 
horse  on  to  that  Shep  dog  running  at  my  feet. 
All  the  two  nights  that  we  have  remained  in 
New  York  my  dear  Mees  Jane  Forsythe  had 
made  me  to  be  clothed  so  that  we  might  escape 
the  two  ladies  from  Berseck,  whom  my  wicked 
uncle  Dyreck  had  placed  for  a  watch  upon  me. 
And  the  night  upon  which  we  did  make  that 
escape  I  did  also  not  obtain  sleep,  for  my  Mees 
Jane  wept  that  my  wicked  uncle  Dyreck  had 
discovered  that  flight  and  was  upon  that  same 
train.  And  so  I  am  so  greatly  fatigued  that 
I  must  now  sleep,  while  the  back  of  that  Good- 
boy  horse  is  like  unto  a  cradle  as  well  as  what 
kind  Meester  Bob  has  called  a  "rocking-chair." 
It  was  impossible  that  I  could  longer  sit  erect 
and  I  must  fall  against  that  back  of  kind  Meester 
Bob. 

"That's  all  right,  little  girl,  go  to  sleep.  I'll 
hold  you  on  until  we  make  camp,"  he  assured 
me,  and  he  then  turned  to  the  sideways  of  his 

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OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

saddle  to  save  me  in  a  firm  embrace.  I  then 
expired  for  how  long  I  cannot  tell,  but  all  the 
forest  was  moonlight  when  I  again  opened  my 
eyes  and  that  Goodboy  horse  had  stopped  still 
with  the  nice  Shep  dog  leaping  and  barking 
beside. 

"Supper- time,  Miss  Celeste,"  said  that  Mees- 
ter  Bob  as  he  gave  a  very  small  shake  to  me  so 
that  I  sat  erect  on  my  blanket  while  he  slid 
to  the  ground  from  off  the  Goodboy  horse. 

Then  immediately  I  felt  as  great  a  hunger  as  I 
had  sleep,  and  I  willingly  allowed  that  kind 
Meester  Bob  to  lift  me  to  the  ground  in  hopes 
that  a  search  for  food  would  be  made.  Food 
was  there! 

"Gather  some  small  sticks,  Miss  Celeste,  and 
a  few  dry  leaves  while  I  unstrap  the  food  wad," 
he  advised  me  as  he  began  to  untie  a  roll  of 
canvas  from  the  side  of  his  saddle  opposite 
to  that  from  which  he  had  unrolled  the  blanket 
for  me  to  ride  upon.  I  immediately  acted  upon 
his  request,  and  before  he  had  spread  the  con- 
tents of  his  "wad,"  as  it  is  named,  upon  the 
ground  I  had  the  fire  ready  for  his  lighting. 

"Now  two  stones  to  hold  the  fry-pan   and 

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OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

the  coffee-pot  and  we  are  in  good  housekeeping 
shape,"  he  made  remark  to  me  as  he  rolled  two 
large  stones  near  each  to  the  other  and  lighted 
my  fire  in  between.  "Want  to  fill  the  pot  from 
the  stream  there  while  I  put  on  the  bacon?" 

I  did  his  bidding  with  a  greatness  of  alacrity. 
I  had  never  had  in  the  preparation  of  food  be- 
fore, but  I  had  not  a  very  great  awkwardness, 
though  I  did  spill  some  of  the  dark  material 
from  which  he  assured  me  that  coffee  is  cooked. 
He  did  not  reprove  me,  but  laughed  with  a 
most  lovely  kindness,  and  he  showed  me  how 
to  turn  over  on  another  side  some  slices  of  most 
delicious-appearing  bacon  that  is  always  a  part 
of  the  English  breakfast  and  that  I  do  like 
exceedingly.  The  instrument  he  gave  to  me 
was  a  long  and  two-pointed  stick,  which  he  cut 
from  the  tree  overhead,  and  I  did  my  task  of 
reversing  the  browning  strips  with  great  seri- 
ousness, for  the  agony  of  hunger  was  upon  me; 
and  I  felt  that  it  was  the  same  with  that  kind 
Meester  Bob  and  also  the  good  Shep  dog,  who 
with  nice  behavior  was  lying  at  a  distance, 
though  her  tail  was  moving  with  a  great  fervor. 
Fine  Goodboy  horse  was  at  supper  on  grass 

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OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

near  by,  and  also  grain  spread  by  that  kind 
master,  Meester  Bob. 

"  Is  it  a  very  long  time  in  which  coffee  is  cook- 
ing, Meester  Bob?"  I  was  forced  to  ask  as  the 
delicious  aroma  encountered  my  nostrils  from 
the  pot  in  bubbling  over  the  red  coals.  "Is 
this  lovely  bacon  not  ready  for  eating?" 

''Poor,  hungry  child,  here's  your  sandwich; 
go  to  it!  I'll  pour  your  tin  cup  of  coffee  in  a 
minute,"  and  while  he  spoke  that  good,  kind 
man,  who  was  so  very  hungry  himself,  broke 
open  a  very  strange  piece  of  yellow-brown 
bread,  that  he  was  toasting  by  the  coffee-pot, 
put  two  of  the  most  crisp  and  smoking  slices 
of  that  very  good  bacon  in  between,  and  handed 
it  to  me. 

"I  faint,"  I  made  remark  as  I  set  teeth  into 
that  food.  Then  I  tasted  it,  then  I  paused, 
than  I  tasted  it  again.  "Mon  Dieu,  what  is 
it,  this  bread?"  I  asked,  with  great  rudeness. 

"Corn-pone,"  answered  that  kind  Meester 
Bob,  with  a  large  laugh  that  ascended  to  the 
top  parts  of  the  trees.  "I  had  a  young  Eng- 
lishman down  shooting  with  me  at  Twin  Oaks 
year  before  last  and  we  never  got  him  fed  up 

14 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

on  it  in  the  whole  month.  Last  year  I  took  him 
over  a  barrel  of  meal  and  taught  the  chef  at 
his  club  in  London  how  to  make  a  pone.  Wain- 
right  fed  it  to  his  relatives  and  friends  and  the 
barrel  lasted  two  days,  though  the  chef  almost 
failed  to  hold  out.  Every  month  or  two  I  send 
over  a  barrel  to  his  old  uncle,  the  earl.  You're 
a  real  Tennesseean  now,  Miss  Celeste;  you've 
broken  corn-pone  with  us,"  and  while  he  said 
that  lovely  thing  to  me  he  had  made  also  a 
nice  supper  for  the  good  Shep  dog  before  he 
had  himself  taken  one  small  quantity  of  food. 

"I  wait  that  I  break  your  bread  with  you," 
I  answered  to  him  while  I  am  hardly  able  to 
keep  from  my  mouth  that  very  good  corn-pone 
and  bacon  between. 

"Well,  here's  to  happiness  for  you  in  sunny 
Tennessee,"  he  answered  to  me  with  a  so  great 
kindness  in  his  eyes  as  he  handed  me  a  tin  cup 
with  coffee,  which  he  had  sweetened  from  an- 
other cup  of  sugar,  and  raised  his  own  to  his 
lips. 

Then  a  very  strange  thing  happened  to  me. 
That  forest  in  the  moonlight  and  that  good, 
kind  Meester  Bob  and  the  Shep  dog  and  all, 

15 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

even  that  corn-pone  and  hunger,  faded  away 
into  a  picture  of  my  great  home  Krymnwolde, 
the  banquet-hall,  and  every  person  drinking 
from  crystal  glasses  to  the  happiness  of  my 
eighteenth  birthday  that  I  had  come  from 
the  school  in  England  to  spend  with  my  beauti- 
ful lady  mother  and  so  loving  father  and  brother. 
Then  the  armies  had  come  and  Louvain  and 
then — the  grave  in  Devonshire.  I  must  flee; 
and  then  I  am  alone  in  this  forest  and — 

"Are  you  asleep,  honey  lady,  before  you  get 
away  with  the  pone  and  bacon?  Poor,  sleepy 
little  girl!"  is  what  I  hear  in  the  voice  of  that 
Meester  Bob,  and  I  am  back  by  that  warm  fire 
in  America  with  that  good  food  in  my  hand  and 
my  so  good  friend  near  by  my  side  to  keep  me 
from  falling  in  the  fire  because  he  thinks  that 
I  am  about  to  sleep.  How  can  I  sorrow  among 
all  that  warm  kindness?  I  laugh  that  I  sob, 
and  I  sob  that  I  laugh,  and  I  begin  again  with 
hunger  to  eat  at  that  most  wonderful  bread 
in  my  hand. 

"I  drink  to  three  kind  friends  I  find  in  the 
great  woods,"  I  made  answer  to  that  Meester 
Bob  with  my  lips  on  the  edge  of  that  strange 

16 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

tin  cup,  while  he  has  begun  to  eat  and  drink 
with  the  same  keenness  I  myself  feel. 

"Yes,  let's  toast  the  whole  family  of  us  here! 
And  now  for  more  pone  and  bacon  for  you, 
Miss  Celeste,"  he  made  answer  to  me.  I  have 
never  seen  food  that  goes  away  as  quickly  as 
that  pone  bread.  I  am  ashamed,  but  I  held 
out  my  hand  for  the  more  he  was  giving  to  me. 

"I  like  it  that  you  call  me  honey  lady. 
That  Mabel  Cummins  from  Chicago  at  school 
has  said  kiddie  to  me  and  she  was  forbid.  I 
do  love  that  Mabel!"  It  is  with  great  rudeness 
that  I  talk  and  eat  at  one  and  the  same  time, 
but  I  want  so  to  say  things  to  this  Meester 
Bob  and  my  hunger  is  not  yet  at  an  end. 

"All  right,  I  hereby  christen  you  wee  honey 
lady,"  and  he  made  a  sprinkle  of  one,  maybe 
two,  drops  of  that  very  good  coffee  in  his  cup 
on  to  the  toe  of  my  shoe. 

I  laughed  with  a  heartiness  because  it  is  so 
good  to  make  a  joke  after  so  long  a  sad  time. 
Also  it  is  good  to  laugh  with  no  sob  in  it. 

Then  of  a  sudden  I  know  that  I  have  eaten 
three  large  pone  breads  and  that  I  am  even  so 
sleepy  as  I  was  hungry.  I  am  glad  that  Meester 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

Bob  had  come  beside  me,  for  I  did  at  that  mo- 
ment almost  fall  forward  into  the  fire.  Then 
he  took  me  by  the  shoulder  with  a  small  shake 
and  said  in  so  gentle  voice  to  me: 

"See  here,  child,  there  is  no  more  travel  in 
you,  and  we'll  have  to  bivouac.  Now  look  at 
me!  You  are  just  as  safe  as  you  ever  were  in 
your  mother's  arms,  and  I'm  going  to  roll  you 
in  this  blanket  and  put  you  to  bed  beside  Shep 
to  keep  you  warm.  Here,  Sheppie,  old  girl!" 
And  that  kind  Meester  Bob  he  began  to  wrap 
me  in  the  blanket  on  which  I  have  rode  the 
Goodboy  horse. 

"You  think  that  nobody  will  find  me  here  in 
the  dark  even  if  the  train  was  stopped  very 
soon?"  I  asked,  with  not  as  much  fright  as 
sleep,  while  I  laid  me  down  on  the  ground  by 
the  fire  and  that  Meester  Bob  made  the  good 
Shep  dog  to  lie  down  beside  me  very  close  and 
nice,  so  that  I  may  place  my  head  on  her  neck 
for  a  pillow. 

"Go  to  sleep,  little  girl;  you're  hid  all  right," 
Meester  Bob  made  answer,  and  that  good  Shep 
dog  and  I  both  are  asleep.  I  knew  nothing 
more  until  came  a  dream  of  all  the  lights  out 

18 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

on  the  great  ship  and  that  tall  officer  who  sent 
every  person  below  into  the  dark  cabins  because 
of  horrible  mines  in  the  ocean  that  .we^were 
going  through. 

"Oh,  again  I  am  so  terribly  afraid,"  I  found 
that  I  was  crying  out  into  a  great  darkness  just 
as  I  awoke.  I  was  in  terror,  and  but  for  that 
good  warm  Shep  dog,  who  did  growl  and  come 
up  closer  under  my  neck,  I  would  have  been  in 
an  anguish  as  great  as  was  that  in  the  wide, 
dark  ocean  with  its  mines  thereunder. 

"There,  there,  honey  lady,  you  are  all  right! 
What  is  it?"  said  the  lovely  deep  voice  of  that 
kind  Meester  Bob,  and  I  saw  that  there  is  still 
some  fire  burning  and,  in  the  dark,  he  is  sitting 
beside  it  smoking  from  a  pipe  while  the  Goodboy 
horse  is  lying  down  just  beyond.  The  moon 
that  had  shone  so  like  silver  on  the  leaves  now 
was  gone,  and  the  bright  stars  hung  down  in 
the  tree-tops  like  a  veil  with  a  golden  mesh. 

"It  is  that  I  dreamed  of  the  dark  ship  and 
the  mines  in  the  ocean  before  we  came  to  the 
Liberty  of  America,  with  the  lamp  in  her  hand. 
Again  I  am  frightened,  and  I  am  alone  in 
America,  and  nobody  knows  where  I  am,"  I 

19 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

answered,  and  I  began  to  weep  into  the  neck 
of  the  warm  Shep  dog,  who  with  kindness 
pressed  still  closer  and  warmer  to  me. 

"Look  here,  little  girl,  do  you  want  to  tell 
me  all  about  it?  Would  it  help?  You  said 
I  mustn't  ask  you,  but  maybe —  Now,  there  I 
have  made  a  light  and  you  can  see  that  you've 
got  three  good  friends  near  and  are  not  lost 
in  the  dark!"  And  that  good  kind  Meester 
Bob  made  a  nice  blaze  leap  up  and  drive  the 
cruel  darkness  back  behind  the  trees. 

"It  may  be  better  that  I  come  closer  to 
you,"  I  said  as  I  released  myself  from  the 
blanket  and  came  around  the  fire  to  a  greater 
nearness  to  that  nice  big  man  and  his  pipe  that 
is  very  good  to  smell  in  the  dark  of  the  night. 

"Now  you  are  all  right,  honey  lady,"  he 
made  answer  to  me  after  he  had  fixed  me  a 
nice  seat  out  of  dried  leaves  next  to  his  and 
put  one  more  little  twig  on  the  fire  to  blaze 
away  the  shadows  that  tried  to  creep  closer 
as  the  fire  burned  lower. 

"Meester  Bob,"  I  inquired,  very  timidly,  "is 
it  that  you  have  a  young  girl  at  your  house, 
that  you  are  a  husband  or  a  father,  or  maybe 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

a  brother  to  because  you  are  so  kind  to 
me?" 

"No,  nobody  belongs  to  me  since  my — 
my  mother  died  just  a  year  ago.  She  had  blue 
eyes  and  white  hair  and  she  was  pretty  young 
— just  a  girl.  Now  I've  only  a  great  big 
empty  home  out  there  in  the  Harpeth  Valley 
that  I  don't  care  if  I  never  see  again.  But  I 
love  my  woods,  five  thousand  acres  of  them! 
I'm  marking  the  timber  for  lumber  myself, 
because  I  won't  trust  any  other  logger  not  to 
take  the  best,  while  I  only  want  to  cull.  It  is 
nice  to  have  this  several  million  rooftrees  to 
offer  you  hospitality  under,  isn't  it?" 

"  Meester  Bob,"  I  made  answer  to  him,  again 
getting  to  a  greater  closeness,  "I  weep  that 
your  mother  has  died,  but  she  did  not  lose  you 
before  she  must  go.  My  beautiful  English 
mother  did  see  my  father  go  with  his  regi- 
ment before  Louvain,  and  Dyreck,  my  brother, 
is  also  killed  in  that  regiment.  In  the  night 
she  must  leave  Krymnwolde,  that  is  in  fire, 
and  come  many  days,  when  she  is  cold  and 
starved,  to  England  to  my  school  in  Devon- 
shire, to  find  me  and  my  dear  Mees  Jane 

31 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

Forsythe  who  loved  my  mother  exceedingly. 
All  the  girls  at  that  school  are  gone  to  their 
homes  because  of  that  cruel  war,  and  I  wept 
exceedingly  when  my  Mabel  Cummins  went  in 
the  night  to  get  in  a  boat  that  was  to  go  very 
quickly  to  Chicago  in  America.  Is  it  that 
Chicago  is  not  very  far  away  and  I  can  go  to 
find  my  Mabel  to  love  me,  now  that  all  is  lost 
to  me?" 

"You  shall  have  that  Mabel  Cummins  just 
as  soon  as  we  can  get  to  a  railroad  and  go 
to  find  her,"  answered  that  fine  Meester  Bob 
with  a  quickness  and  sympathy  in  his  voice. 
"Mabel  Cummins  in  Chicago  may  be  a  large 
order,  but  we'll  get  it  filled." 

"But  it  may  happen  that  you  also  will  live 
close  by  to  that  dear  Mabel  with  the  Shep 
dog  and  Goodboy  horse  while  there  is  not  any- 
body in  your  large  home,  Meester  Bob?"  I 
asked  him,  with  a  great  suddenness.  I  do 
love  that  Mabel,  but  also  that  Meester  Bob 
is  much  more  strong  and  broad  than  is  my 
Mabel,  and  I  have  no  fear  when  close  enough 
to  him  to  perhaps  touch  him  if  a  thing  should 
happen  to  me. 

22 


OUT   OF    A    CLEAR    SKY 

"If  Mabel  doesn't  mind,  perhaps,"  Meester 
Bob  answered  to  me,  and  it  sounded  like 
he  might  laugh  and  might  sob  both  in  his 
voice. 

"My  dear  Mees  Jane  Forsythe  is  from 
Texas,  America,  and  she  loved  my  mother  in 
that  same  school  in  England  as  girls,"  I  then 
continued  to  tell.  "When  I  was  born  she  came 
from  America  as  governess  and  my  mother  is 
sister  to  her.  She  died  in  the  arms  of  that 
Mees  Jane,  did  my  beautiful  mother,  and  she 
gave  me  to  her  to  bring  to  America  away  from 
my  uncle  the  Count  Dyreck  de  Berseck  and 
Krymn,  who  is  a  so  wicked  man  as  the  devil. 
I  am  afraid!"  This  time  I  did  get  completely 
close  to  that  big  strong,  warm  Meester  Bob 
and  I  trembled  against  his  arm  while  he  laid 
his  hand  with  a  gentleness  on  mine  that  was 
suddenly  so  cold. 

"Don't  worry  over  the  devil  here  with  Shep 
and  Goodboy  and  me,  little  girl.  We  can 
match  out  any  modern  forked-tail  gentleman 
in  a  red  cloak,"  said  that  Meester  Bob  as  he 
put  another  wood  on  the  fire  to  blaze  away  the 
creeping  blackness. 

23 


OUT  OF   A  CLEAR   SKY 

"But  it  is  the  great  Emperor  that  I  run 
from  and  must  hide!" 

"Well,  honey  lady,  even  the  War  Lord 
himself  would  find  it  hard  to  take  you  from  the 
three  of  us.  But  that  would  sound  serious 
anywhere  except  in  America.  Do  you  want 
to  tell  me  all  about  it?" 

"Oh,  it  is  that  in  Belgium  I  am  a  great  lady 
and  it  is  needful  that — "  So  far  have  I  told 
the  story  of  me  to  that  Meester  Bob  when 
out  in  the  great  blackness  of  trees  the  noise 
of  the  shot  of  a  pistol  is  heard  to  come  from 
a  not  very  great  distance  and  that  Meester 
Bob  very  quickly  kicked  some  earth  over  the 
fire  and  assisted  me  to  stand  on  my  feet. 


n 

"MEESTER  BOB"  FINDS  A  HIDING-PLACE 

PHAT  shot  came  from  a  Moersen  pistol 

I  that  is  used  in  the  German  army," 
Meester  Bob  said,  as  with  a  great  rapidness  he 
began  to  put  the  saddle  to  the  Goodboy  horse 
in  the  darkness.  ' '  I  think  they  have  come  back 
for  you,  Miss  Celeste,  and  though  I  don't  know 
just  why,  I  am  going  to  take  you  away  until 
you  can  make  up  your  mind  about  them.  Are 
you  sure  that  you  do  want  to  run  away?" 

"Meester  Bob,  I  have  here  in  my  dress  the 
knife  that  my  Mees  Jane  gave  to  me  and  she 
did  say: 

"'Use  it  before  you  let  them  use  you  for 
your  country's  dishonor.'  I  have  a  great  fright, 
but  I  will  be  dead  if  you  do  not  take  me  into  a 
place  that  I  can  live  in  hiding." 

"Come  here  to  me,"  said  that  Meester  Bob, 
25 


with  the  same  commanding  kindness  that  he 
speaks  to  the  Shep  dog,  who  then  is  holding  her 
warm  head  against  my  side  in  the  dark.  I  went 
very  close  to  that  Meester  Bob,  who  is  standing 
beside  the  Goodboy  horse  and  making  him  ready 
with  the  blanket  and  saddle. 

"Give  me  that  knife,  little  girl,  before  I  put 
you  on  your  blanket,"  he  commanded  to  me, 
and  immediately  I  slipped  it,  in  its  sheath, 
from  my  belt  and  laid  it  in  his  hand.  "I'm 
going  to  take  you  to  a  place  where  there  is  a 
woman  who  will  hide  you  until  I  can  find  out 
from  you  and  all  parties  concerned  just  what 
is  best  for  you.  We  must  travel  fast,  for  they 
evidently  have  some  sort  of  a  guide,  and  a 
good  one  at  that.  You'll  have  to  put  your 
arms  around  my  shoulders  and  hold  on  tight. 
I'll  break  the  underbrush  and  warn  you  when 
to  duck  for  low  branches.  Now  hold  fast!" 

And  I  did  hold  on  with  a  great  fastness  to 
that  kind  Meester  Bob  while  the  Goodboy 
horse  ran  on  with  swiftness  into  the  dark  of 
the  trees.  Sometimes  we  went  straight  ahead 
and  then  it  is  that  we  must  turn  to  first  the 
right  and  then  the  left.  Always  I  clung  to 

26 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

that  Meester  Bob  and  am  safe  on  the  blanket. 
At  one  time  we  went  down  a  great  steepness 
and  he  must  turn  and  hold  me  in  his  arm 
with  strength  while  we  arose  on  the  other 
bank  through  thick  bushes  and  tall  trees. 

Then  of  a  sudden  we  stopped  very  still  and 
that  Meester  Bob  said  in  a  very  low  voice: 

"Still,  now,  while  I  listen!" 

And  the  Goodboy  horse  and  that  Shep  dog 
and  I  made  very  little  breath  while  he  listened 
for  something  out  in  the  darkness. 

"We've  put  Old  Harpeth  between  us,  but 
they  have  pretty  good  horses  and  there  must 
be  at  least  eight  of  them." 

"It  is  the  gentlemen  and  officers  of  my  uncle 
Dyreck  and  that  nice  young  Prince  Louis 
Augustus.  Oh,  I  feel  that  the  prince  has  a  too 
great  liking  for  me  to  make  me  to  run  in  the 
dark,  but  it  is  from  the  Count  de  Berseck  that 
I  flee.  I  do  pity  that  Louis  Augustus." 

"How  would  it  do  to  stop  and  parley  with 
your  friend  Augustus  while  I  engage  your  rela- 
tive as  either  friend  or  foe?  Don't  you  think 
you  had  better?" 

"No,  no,  good  Meester  Bob,  it  is  a  vow  that 
27 


my  Mees  Jane  did  make  to  my  mother  in  death 
that  I  flee.  It  is  for  Belgium,  which  is  slain. 
You  gave  to  me  your  promise  to  hide  me  when 
I  did  come  on  your  horse.  I  have  fear,  and  I 
weep  that  you  will  no  longer  take  me  to  hiding. 
Also  I  did  give  to  you  my  knife  as  hostage  of 
trust."  And  as  I  spoke  I  took  my  arms  back 
to  myself  and  I  sat  very  erect  on  the  blanket 
on  that  Goodboy  horse.  I  am  as  far  away 
from  that  Meester  Bob  as  is  possible  to  me. 

"I  did  give  you  my  promise,  Madame,  so 
hold  fast  and  we'll  get  away  from  them  yet.  But 
I  wonder  who  is  guiding  them  like  this.  I'll 
have  to  make  Steve's  cabin  first  and  then  round 
back  over  Paradise  Ridge." 

"I  am  so  happy  that  I  find  you  not  untrue 
to  me,  kind  Meester  Bob,"  I  said  to  him  while 
I  again  put  my  arms  about  his  so  broad  shoul- 
ders as  that  Goodboy  horse  began  to  make  gal- 
lops on  again  through  the  darkness. 

"This  is  one  mad  adventure  to  have  happened 
out  of  a  clear  sky  to  a  perfectly  prosaic  citizen 
of  the  Harpeth  Valley,  Tennessee,,  honey  lady, 
but  I'm  yours  to  command — even  in  the  density 
of  ignorance  as  to  the  plot  of  this  play.  Or 

28 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

have  we  both  joined  the  movies  without  know- 
ing it?  Are  you  sure —  Hello!  lightning  and 
thunder!  Out  of  a  clear  sky,  too!" 

I  had  made  a  commencement  to  laugh  with 
great  pleasure  at  the  good  joke  that  Meester 
Bob  had  made  for  us  about  maybe  our  being, 
with  good  Shep  dog  and  fine  Goodboy  horse, 
in  a  play  that  I  do  much  enjoy  at  times  in 
England,  when  a  wind  of  a  great  fierceness 
came  down  among  the  tops  to  the  trees  and 
upon  our  heads.  Suddenly  all  is  light  and  a 
great  fire  rent  the  clouds  of  heaven  just  over  the 
forests,  and  I  heard  the  roll  of  thunder  that  was 
so  like  the  great  guns  that  I  clung  very  close  to 
that  good,  broad  Meester  Bob  in  another  kind 
of  anguish  of  fear. 

"Hold  tight,  little  girl,  while  I  make  a  dash 
up  the  ravine  to  Steve's  cabin.  It  will  be  a 
race  with  the  deluge.  These  electrical  rain- 
storms come  and  pass  in  the  twinkling  of  an 
eye.  Poor  Augustus,  do  you  suppose  he  has 
his  gum  coat  with  him?" 

I  do  not  see  how  it  is  that  the  kind  Meester 
Bob  could  make  a  joke  of  that  poor  young 
prince  for  me  at  that  moment,  but  while  the 

3  29 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

thunder  intoned  and  lightning  glared  and  the 
Goodboy  horse  made  so  wild  plunges  over 
prostrated  trees  and  very  large  rocks,  I  clung 
very  close  to  the  coat  on  the  back  of  that 
Meester'  Bob  and  permitted  myself  one  fine 
laugh  at  a  maybe  very  wet  prince. 

Then  of  a  great  sudden  we  turned  from  the 
forest  into  a  wide  road,  and  I  saw  a  light  that 
was  in  the  window  of  a  house  not  far  distant. 

"I  am  afraid  again,  Meester  Bob,"  I  said, 
very  close  to  his  ear  because  of  the  loud  growl 
from  the  dark  clouds  that  did  appear  to  hang 
so  near  down  upon  our  heads  with  now  no  more 
forest  to  hold  them  aloft. 

"That's  Steve  Budd's  cottage,  and  Steve  and 
Mamie  are  just  two  more  friends  for  you  in  the 
wilderness.  Cheer  up!"  answered  that  kind 
Meester  Bob,  turning  his  head  very  near  to 
mine  also  because  of  the  loud  noise  from  the 
clouds. 

"Is  it  that  this  Steve  and  this  Mamie  are 
the  retainers  of  your  house?"  I  asked,  in  a  small, 
quiet  space  of  time. 

"Yes,  you  might  call  them  that  if  they  didn't 
hear  you,"  made  reply  that  nice  Meester  Bob, 

30 


with  a  laugh  that  I  felt,  although  I  was  not 
able  to  completely  hear  it.  "I  have  faith  to 
believe  that  you  will  make  a  hit  with  the  pair 
of  them." 

"What  is  it,  that  'make  a  hit'  which  you 
wish  that  I  should  do  to  this  Steve  and  this 
Mamie?"  I  asked  Meester  Bob  in  between 
lightnings.  "Is  it  some  American  form  of  salu- 
tation? I  wish  that  you  would  teach  me  these 
American  customs  with  friends.  I  do  so  very 
much  like — '  And  as  I  spoke  a  very  bright 
flash  of  light  made  visible  a  long  distance  down 
the  wide  road,  and  close  at  hand  we  beheld  a 
body  of  horsemen  also  coming  rapidly  out  of  the 
tumult  of  storm. 

"Lie  still  here  where  I  drop  you,"  commanded 
that  Meester  Bob  to  me  very  quickly,  and  he 
drove  the  Goodboy  horse  into  the  darkness  of  a 
great  rock  and  slid  me  off  of  my  blanket  into  a 
thickness  of  bush  and  darkness.  "Cover  close 
with  the  blanket  and  wait  until  I  come  back 
for  you.  Here,  Shep,  you'll  have  to  come  with 
me,"  and  with  which  words  he  rode  in  the 
direction  of  my  wicked  uncle  Dyreck  and  that 
poor  young  Louis  Augustus,  who  would  have 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

grieved  exceedingly  that  I  had  to  lie  in  the 
darkness  under  the  blanket  from  a  horse  and 
maybe  be  wet  with  the  rain  because  of  a  flight 
from  him.  I  do  pity  that  Louis  Augustus. 

And  while  I  lay  in  that  darkness  by  the  great 
rock  I  listened  to  hear  if  any  words  could  come 
to  me  across  the  thunder  and  the  loudness  of 
my  own  heart.  I  then  heard  the  trample  of 
horses  and  a  man's  laugh  that  I  knew  was  from 
my  hated  relative,  Uncle  Dyreck.  I  put  aside 
a  little  corner  of  the  blanket  and  looked  out  on 
the  road  while  one  long  flash  gave  the  light  of 
day.  And  what  did  I  see?  My  kind,  good 
Meester  Bob  is  riding  between  the  Count  de 
Berseck  and  the  Prince  Louis  Augustus  with  a 
great  friendliness  that  is  perhaps  a  forgetting 
of  my  hatred  and  his  promise  to  me?  I  do  not 
know,  but  I  wait. 

"So  you've  been  trailing  me  all  night,  Steve, 
in  hopes  that  I  had  a  runaway  lady  across  my 
saddle-bow?"  I  heard  that  kind  Meester  Bob 
make  question  of  one  of  the  tall  men  who  rode 
in  the  next  rank  behind  him.  Then  they  at 
once  passed  by  the  place  of  my  refuge  and  I  was 
left  alone  in  the  terrible  night,  only  that  the 

32 


OUT   OF    A   CLEAR    SKY 

good  Shep  dog  did  run  to  my  blanket,  but  was 
called  away  by  Meester  Bob,  as  he  went  away 
from  me  down  the  road  to  the  house  that  was 
shelter  for  those  men  while  I  lay  out  in  the 
storm. 

And  then  in  a  few  minutes  of  time  down  came 
the  dreadful  rain  that  beat  upon  the  rock  that 
sheltered  me  and  came  in  a  so  great  torrent 
through  the  bushes  about  me  on  to  the  blanket 
with  which  I  am  covered.  And  again  I  wept 
for  fright  and  sorrow  that  I  am  like  a  hunted 
animal  that  is  forced  to  lie  under  rocks  and 
bushes  in  hiding  because  I  must  be  true  to 
beautiful  Belgium  that  is  slain.  I  wept  for 
myself  out  there  alone,  and  that  kind  Meester 
Bob  had  been  by  force  obliged  to  leave  me  in 
the  storm  while  he  is  at  this  moment  in  the 
shelter  of  that  good  Steve  and  that  good  Mamie. 
And  as  I  wept  alone,  I  do  not  know  how  long, 
suddenly  I  felt  the  nose  of  my  good  friend  Shep 
dog  come  under  my  blanket  and  I  clasped  my 
arms  around  her  wet  neck  in  a  gratefulness  that 
a  dog  had  come  back  to  me  in  the  storm. 

"Child — "  then  came  a  nice,  warm  voice  in 
the  cold  darkness,  and  I  also  clasped  close  that 

33 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

Meester  Bob's  warm  hand  that  was  hunting 
for  me  with  a  great  caution. 

"I  am  alive,  but  I  weep,"  I  said,  creeping  up 
from  the  blanket  to  beside  him,  while  he  did 
still  seek  to  shelter  me  under  the  blanket  over 
my  arm  and  shoulder. 

"See  here,  Miss  Celeste,  I  have  got  to  talk 
fast  to  you  and  you  must  answer  me  straight 
out  from  the  shoulder,"  then  demanded  that 
kind  Meester  Bob,  though  I  did  not  know 
exactly  what  it  was  he  asked  of  me. 

"I  do  not  know  what  is  'straight  out  from  the 
shoulder,'  but  I  will  do  it  if  you  tell  me," 
I  made  answer  to  him  as  he  wrapped  more 
closely  the  blanket. 

"I  have  heard  a  story  from  the  two  men 
there  in  Steve's  cabin,  and  now  I  want  you  to 
tell  me  your  own.  I  am  your  sworn  friend 
and  pledged  to  protect  and  if  necessary  hide 
you,  but  tell  me  about  it  yourself.  To  pro- 
tect you,  perhaps  from  even  yourself,  I  must 
know  it  all.  Tell  me!" 


Ill 

I  BREAK  A  PROMISE 

"  TT  is  my  very  cruel  shame  that  I  must  dis- 
[  close  to  you,  good,  kind  Meester  Bob,  but 
now  that  I  have  you  to  be  a  friend  it  is  not  so 
much  of  a  great  hardness,"  I  made  reply  to  him, 
and,  as  I  looked  up  with  a  wistfulness  of  desire 
that  I  might  have  some  light  to  see  the  sweet 
gentleness  in  his  face  that  I  had  felt  in  his  warm 
hand  and  deep  voice,  suddenly  that  silver  moon 
came  forth  from  the  dark  storm  and  made  a 
beautiful  daylight  all  around  and  about  us  in 
that  great  forest  that  is  so  wonderful  now  that 
Meester  Bob  is  come  and  I  am  not  longer 
alone. 

"You  can  tell  me  anything,  child,  and  I 
think  I'll  understand,"  he  answered  to  me  as  he 
made  me  to  stand  close  against  that  big  rock 
on  the  side  not  toward  the  house  of  that  Mamie 

35 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

and  that  Steve,  and  he  held  my  one  cold  hand 
in  his  two  that  were  very  warm. 

"The  shame  and  the  dishonor  is  to  my  uncle 
Dyreck  in  that  house  with  the  lights;  and  I  am 
in  the  storm.  He  is  the  head  of  the  house  of 
Berseck  and  of  Krymn  since  my  father  and  my 
brother  have  been  shot  at  Louvain,  and  I  am 
most  helpless  in  his  power.  I  have  a  great  fear. ' ' 

"I'm  here,  little  girl.  Go  on!"  answered  that 
friend,  Meester  Bob,  while  I  did  cling  to  his 
two  kind  hands. 

"It  is  the  Emperor  who  has  promised  him 
great  lands  and  titles  and  much  military  honor 
and  gold  if  he  gives  me  in  marriage  to  this  nice, 
kind  Louis  Augustus,  so  that  a  great  lady  of 
Belgium  may  become  a  German  to  be  mother 
of  many  children  for  a  tie  to  make  Belgium  one 
with  Germany.  I  have  a  horror!"  And  again 
I  clung  more  closely  to  the  arm  of  Meester  Bob, 
which  is  of  a  great  wetness  with  rain. 

"Don't  you  like  Augustus  enough?  He 
seems  rather  kind.  Would  it  be  so  bad  ?  Think, 
Celeste!"  And  as  he  spoke  that  Meester  Bob 
gave  me  back  my  hand  from  his  arm  and  leaned 
against  a  tall  tree  at  more  of  a  distance. 

36 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

"Monsieur,  it  is  not  that  I  do  not  like  well 
that  kind  young  prince,  but  it  is  that  I  am  sold 
to  that  Emperor  while  my  father  is  dead  before 
the  great  guns,  and  Dyreck,  my  brother,  also. 
It  is  dishonor  to  the  house  of  Krymn  for  always. 
As  she  died,  my  mother  has  said  it  to  my  dear 
Mees  Jane  Forsythe  in  Devonshire: 

'"Take  her  to  America  with  you,  Jane,  and 
make  her  and  her  children  free.  Never,  never 
let  them  make  of  her  a  bond  for  Germany  and 
Belgium.  Swear  to  me.'  That  is  what  my 
beautiful  English  mother  said  for  her  last  words 
to  her  loved  Mees  Jane.  And  my  Mees  Jane 
made  the  vow  to  her  then,  and  again  on  the 
grave  of  my  mother  in  the  night  that  we  fled 
to  America." 

"How  did  the  count  happen  to  be  with  you? 
He  says  that  he  was  traveling  with  you  to  restore 
your  shocked  nerves  and  that  your  insane  gov- 
erness threw  you  off  the  train  and  that  you  are 
wandering  and  waiting  for  him  to  find  you.  He 
has  a  good  tale  ready,  the  old  fox.  I  could 
have  choked  him  from  instinct  at  the  sight  of 
his  evil  face  while  I  stood  and  smiled  and 
listened.'.'  And  that  good  Meester  Bob  grew 

37 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

very  fierce  at  my  enemy  in  defense  of  me.     That 
gave  me  great  courage  to  continue  my  history. 

"He  did  not  say  true,  good  Meester  Bob," 
I  made  answer,  standing  as  tall  and  quiet  as  is 
possible  to  me  there  in  that  kind  moonlight 
that  must  show  truth  on  my  face.  "He  had 
made  discovery  of  my  flight  with  my  dear  Mees 
Jane  Forsythe,  and  he  was  on  that  terrible  great 
ship  when  we  came  up  to  deck  out  from  Liver- 
pool. Also  he  had  with  him  that  poor  and  very 
lovely  Louis  Augustus,  who  must  obey  his 
Emperor  and  seek  me  in  marriage,  though  much 
insulted  every  day  by  my  dear  Mees  Jane  and  me 
also,  when  in  her  presence  or  that  of  my  wicked 
uncle  Dyreck,  but  not  when  we  are  alone,  be- 
cause I  do  so  pity  him." 

"Are  you  sure,  then,  that  you  can't  do  as  they 
all  wish  and  make  it  up  with  nice  Augustus?" 
asked  that  Meester  Bob  of  me,  and  I  see  that 
he  has  a  look  of  great  graveness  on  his  so  lovely 
face  for  me.  "It  would  be  a  great  destiny, 
child,  in  your  own  world.  Do  you  realize 
what  it  means  to  live  in  a  strange  land  with 
people  who  have  strange  customs,  away  from 
your  own?" 

38 


OUT   OF    A    CLEAR    SKY 

"Have  I  not  found  you  in  America,  Meester 
Bob?  And  have  you  not  any  more  a  care  for 
me,  now  that  I  tell  you  that  I  am  sought  to  my 
dishonor?"  I  pleaded  to  him  with  my  hands 
stretched  out  to  touch  him. 

"Oh,  you  child,  you  child!  What's  a  man  to 
do?  That  old  wretch  back  there  is  the  devil 
incarnate,  and  how  do  I  know  what  wickedness 
he  plans,  with  you  as  a  pawn?"  and  that  Meester 
Bob's  face  is  broken  into  emotion  as  he  holds 
my  hands  in  his. 

"You  have  the  trust  of  my  heart,  good  Mees- 
ter Bob,  and  you  have  promised  that  you  hide 
me  deep.  You  have  taken  my  knife  to  that 
condition  and  have  made  a  vow  to  me.  It  is 
not  long  that  I  must  be  a  care  to  you,  for  I  can 
find  dear  Mabel  in  the  country  of  Chicago  and 
my  Mees  Jane  in  that  Texas.  Please  help  me 
and  hide  me!"  In  that  light  of  the  moon  I 
looked  into  his  eyes  through  my  tears  and 
entreated  with  them  to  him. 

"I  may  be  wrong,  but,  by  Heaven!  I'll  de- 
liver you  to  that  Miss  Forsythe  of  yours  and 
let  her  decide  what  is  to  be  done.  I  can't  turn 
you  over  to  that  old  scoundrel  here  in  the  night 

39 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

and  in  the  freedom  of  this  God's  country  against 
your  will.  Do  you  trust  me  fully,  child?" 
And  as  he  asked  that  question  of  me  that  good 
and  lovely  Meester  Bob  dropped  my  hands  and 
stood  so  that  the  moon  of  silver  shone  into  his 
face  like  a  light  from  heaven. 

"Monsieur,  you  have  the  entire  faith  and 
trust  of  Celeste  de  Krymn,  Countess  de  Berseck, 
and  she  is  to  you  your  little  child  that  you 
do  as  is  best  for  in  your  great  and  holy  kind- 
ness to  her  sorrow.  In  fealty  I  would  kiss 
your  hand,"  and  I  made  that  I  would  raise 
his  large,  warm  hand  to  my  tears,  but  instead 
he  did  that  to  me  with  a  kind  kiss  on  both 
my  cold  hands. 

"God  bless  you,  little  girl,  and  keep  you  and 
'give  you  the  freedom  for  which  you  are  making 
such  a  plucky  fight,  and  may  I  serve  you  while 
you  need  it,"  was  the  beautiful  prayer  that  kind 
Meester  Bob  made  before  he  let  me  again  have 
my  hands. 

"And  now  for  a  plan  to  get  you  out  of  this 
forest  and  on  the  way  to  your  Miss  Jane  to 
have  the  whole  matter  settled  under  her  wing! 
I  hereby  make  solemn  promise  that  only  to 

40 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

her  will  I  deliver  you,  so  I  must  get  busy  with 
my  wits." 

"I  am  not  sure  what  is  that  'get  busy  with 
my  wits,'  but  I  can  do  also  what  you  tell  to 
me,"  I  made  answer  to  him,  with  a  great  eager- 
ness. 

And  when  I  made  the  same  nice  American 
remark  as  he  had  done,  that  Meester  Bob 
laughed  with  a  great  heartiness,  but  very  softly. 
I  again  came  much  closer  to  him,  for  it  was  so 
pleasant  to  me  to  hear  a  laugh  in  all  the  storm 
and  dark  and  horror  of  night. 

"Tell  me  what  it  is  I  do,"  I  said,  in  also  a 
whispered  softness. 

"You  stay  right  here,  Lady  of  Honey,  under 
this  rock  until  I  can  come  back  for  you.  I  must 
go  in  and  lead  them  all  astray  over  Paradise 
Ridge  before  I  can  get  away  from  them.  I 
have  a  feeling  that  his  Satanic  Majesty  suspects 
me  already.  They  are  only  waiting  for  the 
storm  to  clear  completely  away  to  start  the 
search  again.  I  will  give  them  the  slip  and 
come  back  just  as  soon  as  I  can,  but  you  must 
lie  here  in  hiding  until  I  do  come.  I  can't  even 
leave  Shep  with  you." 

41 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

"I  will  do  as  you  tell,  kind  Meester  Bob, 
though  I  am  alone  many  hours  and  a  day.  I 
know  that  you  will  find  me,"  I  made  answer  to 
him,  though  my  hands  would  cling  to  his  sleeve 
even  while  I  did  not  want  that  they  should. 

"You'll  be  good  and  happy  and  not  cry,  little 
girl?  Promise  me?"  And  it  is  with  such  a 
sweetness  that  he  asked  me  that  question  that 
I  did  begin  to  sob  and  laugh  and  laugh  and  sob 
while  I  made  promise  that  I  would  not  do  so. 

Then  he  held  my  two  hands  for  one  moment 
more  in  great  kindness  and  then  went  into  the 
moonlight  on  the  road  to  the  house  of  that 
Steve  and  that  Mamie.  That  good  Shep  dog 
did  run  back  for  one  last  embrace,  but  must 
answer  the  whistle  of  Meester  Bob  to  come  with 
him. 

Then  for  a  very  long  time  I  sat  in  that  black 
hole  in  the  rock  and  made  not  so  much  as  one 
peep  from  among  the  bushes.  I  did  not  weep, 
because  I  had  given  my  promise  not  to  do  so, 
and  also  I  was  so  very  tired  that  I  bethought 
me  to  take  a  long  sleep  while  I  knew  that  my 
kind  Meester  Bob  would  not  let  any  harm  come 
to  find  me.  And  while  I  am  asleep  suddenly  I  am 

42 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

awake;  and  I  then  heard  horses  and  the  voices 
of  men  loud  in  the  daylight  that  I  found  with 
my  opened  eyes.  It  was  my  wicked  uncle 
Dyreck  and  the  nice  Louis  Augustus  and  his 
two  gentlemen  and  the  secretary  and  three 
officers,  also  a  man  that  I  think  is  that  Steve 
and  my  kind  friend,  Meester  Bob,  on  that 
Goodboy  horse,  with  the  Shep  dog  running 
beside  who  passed  near  by  me.  I  crouched 
back  and  for  a  little  moment  I  am  in  fright 
until  I  remembered  the  prayer  of  that  Meester 
Bob  to  my  good  God  in  America,  which  is  free. 

"No,  Celeste,  who  is  now  called  an  American 
name  of  honey,  which  is  nice,  you  are  in  the  care 
of  Meester  Bob  and  have  promised  that  you 
will  be  brave,  which  is  not  to  weep.  Sleep 
once  again!"  I  counseled  to  myself.  And  again 
I  did  sleep  long  into  the  daylight  this  once  more. 

And  while  I  am  asleep  I  dreamed  of  that  good 
pone  bread  and  that  sweet  bacon  on  the  two- 
end  stick,  and  I  then  woke  in  such  a  hunger 
that  I  am  almost  in  despair. 

"What  is  it  that  I  can  do?"  I  asked  to  my- 
self, for  I  had  not  before  in  my  life  been  so  far 
and  long  absent  from  food. 

43 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

And  while  I  asked  that  question  of  myself  I 
thought  that  the  answer  came.  From  behind 
that  rock  I  heard  a  noise  in  the  house  of  Steve 
and  of  Mamie,  and  I  looked  forth  from  the 
bushes  with  a  great  caution.  I  found  that  a 
woman,  who  I  felt  must  be  that  Mamie,  was 
coming  from  the  little  house,  which  was  like 
that  of  a  peasant  and  very  pretty  with  sweet 
flowers  and  a  vine  of  green ;  and  behind  her  she 
made  fast  the  door  with  a  key  which  she  hung 
under  a  vine  that  ascended  over  that  door.  I 
watched  with  great  interest  what  she  would  do, 
and  I  was  sad  when  she  went  with  a  great  slow- 
ness down  the  wide  road,  for  thus  much  more 
I  was  again  alone. 

And  when  a  great  hunger  and  a  great  loneli- 
ness are  both  present  in  a  person  each  is  much 
the  greater.  Also  I  had  become  now  very  wet 
and  chill  through  my  dress  and  my  shoes,  and 
I  had  what  is  called  a  shiver  over  me. 

"Celeste,  who  is  called  the  nice  honey  name, 
you  gave  a  promise  to  that  kind  Meester  Bob 
that  you  would  stay  in  the  cold  rock  for  an 
hour  and  a  day,"  I  made  reply  to  myself  when 
I  begged  myself  to  go  with  that  key  in  that 

44 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

house  to  warm  by  the  nice  fire  that  smoked 
from  the  chimney  and  maybe  find  a  very  small 
piece  of  that  pone  bread  which  is  not  to  be 
used  by  any  person  and  for  which  I  could 
leave  some  gold  on  the  plate  after  eating. 

"Meester  Bob  would  grieve  that  I  starved,"  I 
also  made  another  argument  to  myself,  which  I 
immediately  believed.  "It  is  well  that  I  go  and 
find  food  and  warmth  for  myself."  And  I  then 
crept  forth  along  the  road  and  into  the  gate. 
And  each  moment  I  must  stop  and  must  listen. 

First,  before  I  had  put  my  one  foot  on  the 
threshold  to  reach  for  the  key,  a  great  commo- 
tion arrived  from  the  rear  of  the  hut  and  I  am 
very  much  frightened  when  I  behold  that  it  is  a 
large  swine.  I  immediately  mounted  on  to  a 
chair  that  had  one  very  much  broken  leg  to 
it  and  which  caused  it  to  rock  with  much  danger 
to  me  had  I  not  citing  to  the  door  where  I  was 
to  obtain  the  key. 

"Go  hence!"  I  commanded  the  large  red 
swine,  and  with  a  great  politeness  he  obeyed 
my  command  and  retired,  with  two  hen  chickens 
in  his  company. 

"It  is  in  America  that  even  the  large  swine 

*  45 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

are  kind  and  polite  to  poor  me,"  I  told  myself  as 
I  procured  the  key  and  entered  the  door  of  that 
Steve  and  that  Mamie. 

And  what  did  I  find  ?  I  at  that  time  thought 
it  to  be  a  captive  of  much  cruelty,  but  I  now 
know  it  to  be  a  necessary  custom  for  that 
Mamie  to  tie  up  her  offspring  to  the  end  of  the 
bed  in  that  fashion  when  it  is  not  of  sufficient 
strength  to  walk  with  her  when  she  goes  on  a 
necessary  journey.  It  was  in  truth  a  very  sad 
thing  to  me  to  see  that  very  small  little  boy 
gnaw  at  the  rope,  as  would  a  dog,  to  obtain  his 
freedom  and  make  little  sobs  in  his  throat  at  the 
same  time. 

"Don't  cry,  little  boy,"  I  said  to  him  in  much 
the  same  tone  of  kindness  that  that  Meester  Bob 
did  use  to  me  on  his  discovery  of  me  in  the  forest 
by  the  railroad.  Nice  kindnesses  are  treasures 
that  may  be  saved  and  given  again  to  another  in 
need. 

"Damn  this  old  rope,"  answered  that  small 
child  in  what  I  knew  to  be  a  great  profanity, 
but  he  held  up  his  leash  to  me  in  such  entreaty 
that  I  immediately  knelt  beside  him  and  at- 
tempted his  release.  It  was  impossible,  for  that 

46 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

mother  had  made  the  knot  with  much  firmness 
in  a  way  which  I  could  not  discover. 

"Get  a  knife,  girl,  please  ma'am,"  he  advised 
me  and  pointed  to  a  rude  table  underneath  the 
window.  I  flew  to  obey  him,  and  I  came  very 
near  a  faintness  when  I  saw  that  upon  that 
table  was  a  large  piece  of  that  pone  bread  and 
other  food.  His  release  was  immediate  with  the 
knife,  and  he  also  had  a  great  hunger,  so  we 
together  did  sit  down  to  that  table. 

And  as  we  did  I  regarded  my  very  young  host 
and  he  regarded  me  also.  His  eyes  were  very 
large  and  very  blue,  and  he  was  of  the  pinkness 
of  a  rose  on  his  cheeks  and  of  a  red  rose  as  to  his 
mouth.  I  had  not  before  been  so  alone  with  a 
very  small  little  boy,  and  I  did  not  know  what 
it  was  that  I  should  say  to  him,  but  he  remarked 
first  to  me,  with  a  very  sweet  kindness. 

"Your  clothes  is  mighty  wet,  girl,"  he  said, 
with  what  seemed  a  beautiful  solicitude  from 
one  so  young.  "Don't  you  want  another 
dress?"  and  he  pointed  to  a  rude  frock  of  a  blue 
homespun  that  hung  upon  a  nail  in  the  wall. 

As  I  had  then  by  that  time  consumed  two 
of  the  pone  breads  with  a  kind  of  thick  sweet- 

47 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

ness  which  that  boy  had  directed  me  to  pour 
from  an  earthen  jug,  I  had  a  few  moments  in 
which  to  feel  that  I  was  very  wet  and  very  chill. 

"Thank  you,  kind  sir,  I  will  put  on  the  dress 
while  I  make  dry  my  own,"  I  made  answer  to 
him,  with  gratitude. 

"I'm  named  Bill,  not  'kind  sir,'  and  I'll 
make  a  big  fire  for  you  to  git  dry  by.  That's 
the  reason  maw  ties  me  up,  the  fire  and  that 
dynamite  there  in  the  corner.  I'm  no  baby; 
I'm  going  on  six  next  year,  and  I'm  going  to 
burn  up  this  old  rope." 

Is  it  only  in  America  that  small  children 
speak  with  such  tones  of  manhood  as  did  that 
Bill  and  work  with  such  speed  as  was  used 
by  him  in  making  burn  very  high  that  fire 
with  dry  sticks  upon  the  rough  hearth  of  great 
primitiveness?  I  do  not  know  children  in  any 
way,  but  I  did  and  do  still  believe  this  Bill 
to  be  one  of  great  remark.  And  as  he  labored 
I  removed  my  dress  and  substituted  the  crude 
peasant  garb  of  that  Mamie  who  was  the 
mother  of  that  Bill.  It  was  of  such  a  nice 
warmth  and  dryness  that  I  was  completely 
happy  as  I  disposed  my  own  clothing  on  a  chair 

48 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

near  to  the  blaze  which  that  Bill  attended  in 
burning  that  cruel  rope  with  a  greatness  of 
delight.  Even  with  dry  shoes  of  a  strange 
bigness  and  coarseness  I  provided  myself  by  the 
direction  of  that  Bill,  and  then  I  sat  me  down 
beside  him  in  a  great  comfort  on  a  low  chair. 

"What's  that?"  that  Bill  remarked,  with  a 
suddenness,  as  a  noise  of  thunder  and  a  great 
lightning  came  at  one  time  together  in  through 
the  window  of  the  hut. 

"Again  it  will  rain  and  I  must  run  to  get  the 
blanket  of  Meester  Bob  behind  that  rock,  so 
that  it  may  dry  also  for  the  so  gentle  Goodboy 
horse,"  I  remarked  to  Bill  to  excuse  myself 
while  I  went  out  rapidly  to  the  road. 

"I  ain't  afraid  of  no  old  lightning,  but  I'll 
go  with  you  to  keep  it  from  hurting  you," 
said  that  kind  small  Bill  as  he  ran  along  very 
close  to  those  homespun  mother  skirts  that 
appareled  me,  down  the  wide  road  in  what  I 
held  to  be  the  direction  of  my  refuge  rock,  but 
with  a  mistake. 

For  a  number  of  minutes  that  small  Bill 
and  myself  walked  on,  and  I  made  diligent 
search  back  in  the  forest  for  that  rock  with 

49 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

bushes  surrounded  until  I  discovered  I  am  on 
a  hill  and  much  too  far  from  that  hut  of  Steve 
and  of  Mamie,  in  a  lost  way. 

"It  is  in  the  wrong  direction  and  we  must 
turn,  small  Bill,"  I  made  remark  to  him  as  he 
now  held  my  hand  in  his  and  came  much  closer 
with  each  lightning  and  each  thunder.  Also  a 
great  and  terrifying  storm  darkness  had  come 
down  upon  us  from  clouds  near  to  the  earth, 
which  gave  forth  fire. 

Then  as  I  spoke  and  looked  down  the  hill  at 
the  home  of  that  small  Bill  by  my  side,  a  ter- 
rible thing  occurred,  and  again  I  am  back  in 
Belgium  with  the  big  guns.  A  great  fire  shell 
burst  through  the  sky  and  dropped  down  on 
that  poor  small  house  which  made  it  to  rise 
up  high  in  the  air  with  a  detonation  that  shook 
me  and  that  small  Bill  down  to  the  earth. 

"It's  the  dynamite.  Run,  run  before  it  gits 
the  two  kegs  in  the  shed!"  cried  that  poor  small 
Bill.  And  we  began  to  run  into  the  black 
forest  as  fast  as  is  possible  to  us,  but  not  before 
I  had  observed  a  large  portion  of  the  so  polite 
nice  red  swine  rise  in  the  air  and  fall  back 
beside  the  flames  of  the  house. 

So 


IV 

"SMALL  BILL"  TO  THE  RESCUE 

1DO  not  know  how  long  it  is  that  the  small 
Bill  and  I  ran  away  into  the  forest  while  the 
trees  tossed  and  swayed  above  us  in  the  wind 
and  the  lightning  and  thunder  threatened  us, 
but  at  last  we  came  to  another  rock  that  is  as 
great  as  the  one  under  which  Meester  Bob 
had  left  me,  and  into  its  shelter  I  crawled  me 
with  Bill. 

"Oh,  mon  Dieu!"  I  groaned  to  myself,  "why 
did  I  ever  leave  the  place  at  which  that  kind 
Meester  Bob  put  me  to  stay  by  a  promise!" 
Then  of  a  sudden  a  thought  came  to  me  that 
if  I  had  not  gone  to  untie  with  a  knife  that  small 
Bill,  it  would  be  with  him  even  so  as  with  the 
kind  swine — in  pieces. 

"Oh,  little  Bill,  very  small  Bill,"  I  cried  out 
to  him,  and  with  my  arms  I  clasped  him  to  my 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

breast,  the  first  little  child  that  is  ever  so  held 
by  me. 

And  that  Bill  for  a  long  moment  pressed  very 
close  to  me  also,  and  I  felt  his  very  small  warm 
body  to  tremble  and  maybe  a  tear  damp  on  my 
cheek,  but  immediately  he  was  not  so  and  had 
withdrawn  from  my  embrace. 

"Go  'way, girl;  I'm  not  afraid.  I'll  take  keer 
of  you,  and  I've  got  matches  in  my  pocket  if  it 
gets  dark,"  he  said  in  a  voice  of  great  manliness, 
and  did  scratch  one  of  those  illuminators,  which 
are  called  matches  in  America,  on  the  under  side 
of  the  rock  for  very  pleasure  to  see  it  burn.  I 
now  saw  still  more  good  reason  in  the  kind 
Mamie  mother  for  that  rope  when  it  is  not 
possible  that  small  Bill  can  go  beside  her  to  the 
distance  which  she  must  travel. 

Also  I  thought  that  small  Bill  had  not  much 
heart  for  the  good  swine  that  is  his  family 
friend  and  also  the  chickens  which  made 
feathers  in  the  air  when  the  home  was  exploded, 
but  I  find  that  the  heart  of  even  so  small  a  man 
is  not  to  be  read  in  entirety  by  a  woman  at 
times  when  they  must  control  weeping. 

"That  was  a  good  red  pig,"  remarked  that 
5? 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

small  Bill,  and  he  turned  himself  so  that  I 
could  not  regard  him  and  lighted  another  match 
for  his  comforting.  I  very  greatly  longed  to 
again  embrace  him  in  his  sorrow,  but  he  had 
given  me  a  respect  for  him  not  to  so  do,  and  I 
restrained  myself  to  question  him  instead. 

"Where  do  you  think  we  must  now  go,  small 
Bill?"  I  made  demand  of  him.  "Is  it  possible 
to  find  the  path  of  returning?" 

"I'm  not  going  back  to  no  dynamite  that 
maybe  hasn't  busted.  I'm  going  over  north  to 
Granny  White's  where  my  mother  is  at.  We 
can  get  there  in  maybe  just  one  day  and  a  night 
if  you  can  walk  as  fast  as  me,"  answered  that 
small  Bill  in  a  manner  of  very  great  firmness. 

"How  is  it  that  you  know  where  is  that  north, 
my  Bill?"  I  asked  him  with  becoming  meekness, 
for  it  is  that  I  am  lost  and  that  Bill  is  so  sure 
that  it  is  not  so  with  him. 

"Moss  on  the  trees  and  the  sun  when  it  comes 
out.  Mister  Bob  learns  me  when  I  ride  with 
him  on  Goodboy  sometimes." 

"Oh,  is  it  that  you  are  friends  also  to  my  good, 
kind  Meester  Bob,  small  Bill?"  I  asked,  with  a 
great  fervor,  and  this  time  I  felt  that  I  must 

53 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

take  just  one  caress  of  that  small  hand  on  the 
rock  beside  me. 

"I  mean  Mister  Bob  Lawrence,  but  he  ain't 
your  man.  He  ain't  married,  though  maybe 
he  would  if  you  asked  him.  You  are  a  mighty 
pretty  girl."  And  that  Bill  he  looked  at  me 
with  a  great — great  what  you  call  judiciousness 
in  his  eyes  of  blue  heaven. 

I  am  greatly  embarrassed  and  I  blushed  ex- 
ceedingly, not  knowing  what  to  make  answer 
to  that  compliment  of  small  Bill,  when  of  a 
sudden,  just  at  the  same  time  of  the  blush,  the 
sun  thrust  to  right  and  to  left  the  dark  clouds 
and  made  the  forest  lovely  with  light  all  around 
and  about  that  shelter  rock. 

"Come  on,  let's  get  to  Granny's  maybe  'fore 
dark,"  that  small  Bill  urged  me,  and  imme- 
diately we  set  forth. 

In  all  the  life  that  is  now  to  come  to  me  in  the 
future  I  must  ever  remember  that  journey 
through  the  large  forest  of  Meester  Bob  with 
that  small  Bill,  who  is  yet  no  more  than  a  babe, 
to  guide  me.  It  is  the  month  of  October  and 
each  tree  is  of  a  redness  or  a  more  brilliant  hue 
than  is  gold,  and  on  the  ground  is  spread  for 

54 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

our  progression  a  carpet  of  leaves  more  beauti- 
ful than  the  long  one  that  is  laid  down  in  the 
great  hall  at  my  lost  Krymnwolde  when  the 
loved  King  Albert  and  the  also  loved  Elizabeth 
come  for  the  visits  of  state  to  my  father  and  to 
my  mother.  And  on  each  and  every  side  there 
are  more  of  the  tall  forest  flowers  that  I  now 
know  are  the  national  goldenrod,  with  the 
bushes  beside  strung  with  garnet  berries  of  a 
very  great  richness.  The  moss  on  the  sides 
of  the  very  large  rocks  and  tall  trees,  by  which 
that  small  Bill  is  leading  us  to  friends,  is  an 
incrustation  of  emeralds  of  an  extreme  richness. 
I  am  lost,  alone  in  that  woods  with  only  that 
small  Bill  to  make  me  a  way,  but  so  much  there 
is  of  beauty  that  I  feel  a  great  happiness. 

So  on  we  go  over  the  beautiful  leaf  carpet 
that  at  times  ends  on  the  banks  of  shallow 
streams  over  which  that  small  Bill  and  I  must 
cross  on  stones  from  which  we  well-nigh  slip 
into  the  water.  And  at  last  there  comes  the 
time  that  the  shadows  grow  longer  and  the 
birds  over  our  heads  are  beginning  to  nest 
themselves  in  the  trees.  I  had  a  very  great 
fatigue,  and  it  is  the  same  with  that  Bill, 

55 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

though  he  continually  went  forward  to  look 
for  some  sign  of  that  Granny  White's  habita- 
tion and  did  each  time  return  with  disappoint- 
ment. 

"I  must  rest  me  now  for  just  one  little  while, 
small  Bill,"  I  besought  him,  with  a  great  plead- 
ing. 

"All  right;  you're  a  girl,"  he  made  answer  to 
me  with  a  greatness  of  condescension  as  he 
sank  on  the  low  great  rock  beside  me  at  the 
edge  of  a  stream  much  larger  than  those  we 
had  before  crossed.  My  own  feet  were  of  a 
very  great  weariness,  but  as  I  looked  at  the 
very  small  ones  of  that  Bill  upon  which  were 
no  shoes  and  many  scratches  my  heart  was  of  a 
so  great  tenderness  that  I  would  have  caressed 
the  yellow  head  of  him  with  my  hand,  but  re- 
frained for  the  respect  that  he  has  made  me 
feel  of  him  without  words  between  us. 

"Is  it  that  you  have  a  very  great  hunger, 
small  Bill?"  I  asked  of  him  in  friendliness  as 
some  variety  of  a  large  night  bird  made  some- 
thing of  a  noise  in  the  branches  of  the  tree 
above  our  heads  and  we  moved  to  a  greater 
closeness  one  to  the  other.  I  do  not  know  the 

56 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

reason  for  it,  but  ever  since  that  moment  I 
have  broken  the  corn-pone  bread  with  that 
Meester  Bob  in  this  his  great  woods  I  have  con- 
tinued thoughts  of  food.  Is  it  that  such  a 
continuous  desire  is  created  in  me  by  the  danger 
of  an  absence  of  food  or  is  it  the  air  of  such 
rich  fragrance  that  I  breathe  into  my  body  ?  I 
think  it  must  be  for  both  reasons. 

"You  can  eat  this,  girl.  I  ain't  hungry," 
answered  that  small  Bill  as  he  drew  forth  from 
his  pocket  one  piece  of  that  pone  bread  only 
about  so  large  as  his  own  small  hand.  It  is 
that  very  great  and  fine  gentlemen  are  born  in 
the  forests  of  America  and  when  very  young  are 
habited  in  coarse  clothing  of  blue  without  shoes. 
I  accepted  the  half  of  the  food  from  that  small 
Bill  because  of  his  knightliness,  and  after  the 
eating  we  both  did  suffer  hunger  the  more. 

And  as  the  shadows  came  up  out  of  the  large 
blackness  and  rested  nearer  about  us,  that  Bill 
and  I  crept  close  to  each  other  on  the  cold  rock. 

"Will  you  not  make  us  one  fire,  small  Bill?" 
I  questioned  a  suggestion  because  I  knew  of 
what  a  great  fascination  was  a  flame  to  him, 
and  also  I  feared  the  cold  through  that  small 

57 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

blue  shirt  with  the  large  rents  in  back  and 
front  and  on  the  right  sleeve. 

"While  it  was  light  I  wish  I  had  digged  some 
fishing- worms  to  cook,"  remarked  that  small 
Bill  to  me  when  the  fire  was  of  a  great  warmth 
and  brightness.  I  did  know  that  word ' '  worm, ' ' 
and  it  made  me  shudder  at  it  suggested  for 
food,  but  I  dissembled  my  feelings  to  that  small 
Bill. 

And  the  time  it  was  very  long  that  small 
Bill  and  I  sat  by  that  fire  in  the  darkness. 
And  at  that  time  I  had  no  fright,  for  that  small 
Bill  did  come  very  close  to  me  now  and  it 
was  much  comfort  and  happiness  that  I  was 
allowed  to  place  my  arm  about  his  so  small 
shoulders. 

"I  ain't  afraid,  and  if  you  want  to  go  to 
sleep  I'll  keep  care  of  you,"  he  made  remark 
to  me  just  one  minute  before  his  yellow-haired 
head  fell  on  to  my  breast  in  deep  sleep.  I 
then  did  adjust  him  into  my  arms  and  myself 
against  the  great  rock  to  watch  through  the 
long  night  until  the  light  should  come. 

And  I  do  not  know  why  it  is,  but  I  do  no 
longer  weep  or  am  afraid.  I  keep  in  my  heart 

58 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

the  two  things  that  the  good,  kind  Meester 
Bob  has  said  to  me,  "God  bless  you,  little  girl!" 
and  also  that  promise,  "I'll  come  back  for  you," 
and  I  hold  on  my  breast  that  head  of  the  so  small 
American  child  I  have  saved  by  the  will  of  the 
good  God  from  the  terrible  dynamite. 

"Celeste  de  Berseck,  you  now  wear  American 
clothes  and  you  cradle  an  American  child  and 
you  await — "  But  just  as  I  spoke  those  words 
very  softly  to  myself,  so  that  I  should  not  dis- 
turb that  small  and  so  very  tired  Bill  in  my 
arms,  there  is  a  crash  in  the  bushes  across  the 
stream,  and  I  clasped  very  close  that  Bill  and 
said  a  very  quick  prayer  to  the  good  God  that 
no  harm  come  to  him  in  his  sleep. 

I  waited  and  that  Bill  slept,  even  so  close  as 
I  held  him. 

A  crash  came  from  a  greater  nearness  and 
a  most  terrifying  animal  noise.  I  then  crouched 
my  body  over  that  small  Bill  so  that  I  might 
first  be  devoured;  and  again  I  waited. 

A  loud  splash  then  came  from  the  stream  and 
a  bark  that  entered  into  the  deepness  of  my 
heart,  for  I  then  know  the  animal  to  be  my 
good  friend  that  Shep  dog.  We  embraced  and 

59 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

it  awakened  that  small  Bill,  whom  my  Shep 
did  lick  with  a  greatness  of  loving. 

"Gee!  what  you  got  around  your  neck, 
Shep?"  asked  that  small  Bill  while  yet  in  the 
embrace  of  the  good  Shep  dog. 

We  then  made  the  discovery  of  a  large  parcel 
well  fastened  around  the  neck  of  that  Shep  dog. 
It  is  with  great  eagerness  that  I  make  the 
fastenings  aloose  while  that  Bill  has  made 
more  light  with  a  stick  on  the  fire.  At  the 
very  first  I  discover  a  writing,  and  I  leave  the 
further  opening  of  the  package  to  that  small 
Bill  while  I  read : 

Miss  Celeste,  stay  just  where  you  are;  give  Shep  this 
glove  of  mine  to  smell,  and  say,  'Go,  girl,  find  him!' 
She  will  come  back  and  bring  me  to  you  no  matter  where 
she  finds  you.  Wait  for  me  I 

BOB  LAWRENCE. 

I  clasped  that  letter  to  my  cheek  for  joy 
that  it  will  be  so  soon  that  my  Meester  Bob 
will  come  to  find  me.  It  is  written  on  a  small 
piece  of  paper  of  a  great  soiledness,  but  it  is 
the  best  loved  letter  that  I  have  ever  received, 
and  I  was  in  the  act  of  placing  it  to  my  lips 
when  that  small  Bill  spoke. 

60 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

"I'm  hungrier  for  breakfast  than  I  was  for 
supper,  girl,  and,  please,  ma'am,  let's  eat." 
Behold,  there  was  unwrapped  from  the  parcel 
on  the  neck  of  that  good  Shep  dog  much  of  that 
good  pone  bread  and  also  bacon  in  many  pieces ! 

"Always  it  is  that  kind  Meester  Bob  thinks 
to  feed  me,"  I  say  in  my  heart  while  I  eat  but 
one  bite  before  I  give  a  nice  piece  to  that  good 
Shep  dog  and  then  more.  Also  that  small  Bill 
did  eat  with  great  joy  and  rapidness. 

Then  it  was  while  the  small  Bill  and  the  good 
Shep  dog  are  making  complete  the  finish  to  the 
supper  that  I  took  from  the  rock  the  glove  of 
that  good,  kind  Meester  Bob  and  in  the  shadow 
turned  my  face  so  that  I  might  lay  my  cheek 
upon  it  before  delivering  it  to  the  Shep  dog  by 
which  to  obtain  scent.  In  all  that  great  woods 
was  a  warmness  now  that  I  knew  my  Meester 
Bob  was  to  come  to  me  quickly,  and  I  did  not 
weep  for  joy  upon  that  glove  only  because  of 
my  promise  to  him.  Then  I  delivered  the  glove 
to  the  good  Shep  dog  with  the  words  my  Meester 
Bob,  which  is  her  master,  had  written  to  me: 

"Go,  girl,  find  him!" 

For  one  moment  that  very  good  and  intelli- 

5  61 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

gent  dog  looked  in  my  eyes,  then  she  sniffed 
the  glove  of  that  Meester  Bob  one,  two,  three 
times,  and  was  away  across  the  stream  and  into 
the  woods  before  it  was  possible  for  me  or  that 
small  Bill  to  say  one  word. 

I  did  much  desire  that  I  had  a  piece  of  paper 
and  one  small  pencil  that  I  might  have  written 
a  message  of  greeting  to  that  good,  kind  Meester 
Bob  and  also  gratitude  for  the  delicious  thought 
of  his  for  our  food,  but  my  purse  is  exploded 
in  the  pocket  of  my  blue  silk  dress  into  the  air 
with  the  polite  red  swine,  and  the  leather  bag 
with  the  jewels  is  still  under  the  great  rock  in 
company  with  the  blanket  of  my  friend,  Good- 
boy  horse.  And  one  little  thought  then  came 
to  my  mind  that  it  may  be  that  all  of  my  for- 
tune, which  is  the  Krymn  jewels,  is  lost  to  me 
forever  in  this  great  forest  of  kind  Meester  Bob. 
Perhaps  it  is  that  I  am  destitute,  and  what  shall 
I  do  for  myself?  A  little  fear  is  beginning  in 
my  heart  when  that  small  Bill  crept  under  the 
folds  of  that  mother  skirt  of  the  good  Mamie, 
which  I  wore,  for  warmth  to  his  cold  small  legs 
and  torn  shirt,  and  gave  to  me  a  beautiful 
invitation  for  my  future  life. 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

"You  can  live  in  my  house,  girl,  when  my 
dad  builds  another  one,  and  can  stay  with  me 
so  maw  won't  tie  me  when  she  has  to  go  to  the 
cross-roads  to  get  groceries,  can't  you?  You 
can  sleep  in  my  bed  'tween  me  and  the  wall." 
And  as  he  spoke  again  the  yellow  head  sank 
upon  my  breast. 

"And  pray,  Celeste,  who  is  now  called  the 
child  of  honey,  what  are  jewels  in  America 
when  so  much  affection  is  everywhere  about 
you?"  I  asked  of  myself  as  sleep  once  more 
came  to  me. 

And  then  in  the  early  dawn  of  the  morning 
I  am  again  awake  while  in  my  ears  is  a  music 
that  seems  to  come  from  the  call  of  a  horse's 
voice  that  is  mingled  with  the  song  of  early 
birds  that  flit  to  one  another  in  the  trees  over 
the  heads  of  sleeping  small  Bill  and  me.  A 
most  beautiful  whiteness  of  mist  is  all  over 
the  forest  of  red  and  gold  and  green  and  purple, 
like  the  lace  which  is  often  laid  over  the  em- 
broideries upon  the  gowns  that  my  beautiful 
mother  wore  when  at  court  and  that  made  me 
so  long  for  age  that  I  might  clothe  myself  like- 
wise. Instead  I  am  in  the  rough  homespun  of 

63 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

that  Mamie,  but  I  am  listening  for  the  most 
kind  and  beautiful  gentleman  in  all  the  world 
to  come  to  me  and  that  small  Bill. 

And  it  is  in  that  moment,  when  the  light  of 
the  sun  did  pierce  the  lace  like  a  jeweled  pin, 
that  nice  Goodboy  horse  arrived  close  beside 
the  large  cold  rock  which  was  the  seat  of  small 
Bill  and  me. 

Quickly  I  did  rise,  and  with  me  lifted  small 
Bill  in  my  embrace,  and  did  start  toward  that 
kind  Meester  Bob,  but  did  stop  when  I  saw  the 
great  paleness  and  emotion  on  the  face  of  him. 
Do  I  not  know  suffering  now  that  I  have  seen 
it  on  the  faces  of  soldiers  who  have  lost  a  great 
battle  and  on  the  faces  of  the  women  of  Bel- 
gium who  await  to  know  if  the  big  guns  have 
taken  from  them  their  all?  What  had  come 
with  so  great  suffering  to  that  good  and  kind 
man? 

That  small  Bill  was  lost  in  the  embrace  of 
the  good  Shep  dog,  and  alone  I  stood  and 
looked  into  the  deep  and  lovely  eyes  of  the 
great  gentleman  in  whose  forest  I  had  sought 
refuge,  and  who  is  the  most  kind  friend  that 
le  bon  Dieu  has  ever  given  to  me,  with  a  wait- 

64 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

ing  that  he  should  speak  to  me  and  tell  me 
what  it  is  the  pain  in  his  strong  face. 

Then  of  a  sudden  the  ray  of  jeweled  sun 
through  the  trees  laid  itself  across  his  red-gold 
head  and  its  light  is  in  his  face  with  a  great 
glow. 

"Celeste,  Celeste?"  he  asked  of  me  with  a 
great  softness  and  a  great  uncertain  wonder 
in  his  strong  voice  which  had  also  emotion  as 
well  as  kindness  in  it.  And  he  came  to  me  with 
his  hands  held  out  to  me,  and  when  I  did  give 
mine  into  his  keeping  he  bent  and  buried  his 
eyes  in  them  with  a  still  greater  emotion. 

"What  is  it,  my  good,  kind  Meester  Bob?" 
I  asked  of  him  as  I  drew  very  close  to  that  red- 
and-gold  head  bent  to  my  hands. 


THE   HOUSE   OF   GRANNY  WHITE 

"  AAY  God,  child,  I  saw  you  a  hundred 
1 V 1  yards  back  in  Mamie's  frock  with  the 
child  in  your  arms,  and  I  was  afraid — afraid 
that  the  scraps  of  blue  silk  had  told  the  truth, 
whicn  I  was  unwilling  to  believe  when  I  sent 
Shep  out  into  the  woods  to  hunt  for  you.  I 
must  shake  you  for  being  alive,"  and  that  is 
the  thing  that  my  good  Meester  Bob  did  to  me 
with  great  vigor  while  he  laughed  with  me  as 
I  held  to  his  very  strong  arm. 

"And  also  that  poor  polite  red  swine,"  I  then 
said,  with  regret  in  my  voice,  while  that  small 
Bill  had  drawn  close,  still  in  the  embrace  of  the 
Shep  dog. 

"Well,  where  did  the  countess  pick  you  up, 
Bill?"  then  asked  Meester  Bob,  and  again  that 
awful  fear  shot  through  his  eyes. 

66 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

"I  just  corned  along  to  take  keer  of  her  away 
from  the  dynamite,"  that  small  Bill  made 
answer  as  he  again  began  to  roll  upon  the  ground 
with  the  Shep  dog. 

"I  did  break  faith  with  you,  good  Meester 
Bob,"  I  made  answer  further,  with  a  closer  cling- 
ing to  his  strong,  fine  arm.  "On  account  of 
hunger  and  wet  and  cold  I  entered  the  house  of 
that  good  Mamie  in  her  absence,  and  did  make  a 
release  of  small  Bill  from  a  rope  to  the  bed  while 
I  also  did  clothe  myself  in  dryness  of  clothes 
and  eat  of  the  pone  bread  and  sweetness  from 
the  jug.  And  then  it  happened — " 

"We  went  to  git  your  horse-blanket  up  the 
road  where  we  couldn't  find  it  and  then — boom 
— boom  went  the  dynamite  up  in  the  air,  with 
that  red  pig  and  the  chickens  and  the  coffee-pot 
and  the  girl's  dress  and  two  pillows  and  the 
checked  quilt  and —  It  was  a  big  lightning 
and  that  was  a  good  old  pig,"  interrupted  me 
that  small  Bill,  who  then  paused  with  emotion 
for  the  poor  swine  in  his  young  face  and  voice. 

"You  precious  babes  in  the  woods,"  then  did 
exclaim  that  good  Meester  Bob  while  he  for  a 
very  short  moment  did  embrace  both  that  small 

67 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

Bill  and  me,  which  was  resented  by  that  Bill 
and  ended  before  I  wished  greatly  that  it  should. 

"When  I  turned  the  bend  in  the  road,  after 
having  found  you  gone,  leaving  the  blanket 
and  the  leather  bag  behind  you,  and  saw  the 
smoking  ruins  of  Steve's  house  with  the  awful — 
awful  odor  of  burned  flesh — and — and — found 
a  few  scraps  of  the  blue  of  your  frock  all  charred 
— I — I —  Here,  honey  lady,  let  me  shake 
you  again!"  And  again  that  poor  Meester 
Bob  laid  his  big  warm  hands  on  my  shoulders 
and  did  give  to  me  another  good  shake  of 
deep  emotion. 

"You  let  her  alone.  She  'ain't  done  nothing 
bad,"  then  said  that  small  Bill,  coming  close 
to  me  and  seeking  with  his  very  small  strength 
to  draw  away  the  hands  of  that  strong  Meester 
Bob  from  my  shoulders. 

"Where  had  your  mother  gone,  Bill?"  asked 
that  Meester  Bob  of  a  great  suddenness  and 
distress.  "What  could  Mamie  have  thought 
when  she  got  back  to  that  ruin?"  And  I  saw 
that  paleness  of  emotion  come  back  to  that 
good,  kind  face  of  Meester  Bob  with  a  great 
suddenness. 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

"She  wasn't  coming  back,"  answered  that 
small  Bill  as  he  offered  a  branch  of  very  green 
tenderness  to  the  nice  Goodboy  horse  to  eat. 
"She  went  over  to  Granny  White's  'cause  she 
was  sick,  and  dad  was  going  to  fetch  me  when 
he  came  home.  I  was  taking  my  girl  over 
there." 

"Then  we  must  try  to  beat  the  news  of  the 
explosion  to  Mamie  at  Granny  White's,"  said 
that  Meester  Bob  as  he  then  began  to  make  pre- 
pared the  back  of  the  fine  Goodboy  horse  that  I 
should  ride  once  more  in  my  rocking-chair  as  he 
has  spoken  of  it  before.  "Steve  is  still  over 
Paradise  Ridge  with — with  your  family  party, 
honey  lady,  hunting  for  you,  and  when  he  gets 
back  he  will  have  to  stand  the  shock  of  what  he 
finds  until  he  learns  better.  I  left  him  to  guide 
the  hunt  because  I  could  trust  him  to  guide 
them  in  the  direction  I  laid  down  for  them. 
And  Granny  White's  was  the  shelter  I  was  tak- 
ing you  to  so  as  to  leave  you  comfortable  until 
I  could  get  you  to  the  railroad  station  over  at 
Providence  and  started  on  to  your  Miss  Jane; 
so  come,  let  me  put  you  up  for  another  fifteen 
miles  on  Goodboy.  Did  you  expect  to  make  it 

69 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

on  foot  to-day,  Bill?"  he  asked  as  he  swung 
himself  up  on  that  nice  good  horse,  Goodboy, 
and  reached  down  to  help  me  up  from  his  foot 
to  the  seat  of  great  comfort  behind  him  that  I 
do  so  like. 

"She  couldn't  walk  fast;  she's  a  girl," 
answered  that  small  Bill  as  he  held  up  his  hands 
and  was  in  his  turn  lifted  to  the  front  of  the 
saddle  on  that  fine  Goodboy  horse  who  is  very 
generous  that  he  carries  so  many  persons  at 
one  time. 

"Hold  tight!"  commanded  that  Meester  Bob, 
and  again  I  am  riding  rapidly  in  the  forest, 
clinging  close  to  his  good,  kind  strength  and  very 
happy  with  a  warm  confidence  in  his  care  of  me. 

Of  a  sudden  one  of  his  very  strong  arms  is 
reached  around  and  laid  across  my  shoulders  for 
just  a  very  small  moment  and  his  cheek  is  turned 
so  that  it  might  have  rested  on  my  hair  for  an- 
other small  inch,  and  I  heard  him  say  as  if  not 
to  me,  but  himself: 

"I  have  got  you  safe,  haven't  I,  little  girl?" 

"Yes,"  I  made  answer  to  him,  likewise  almost 
in  the  depth  of  my  heart  that  beat  very  nicely 
against  his  back  as  we  went  down  into  a  small 

70 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

stream  in  the  manner  of  yesterday  and  up  the 
bank,  while  that  small  Bill  did  trail  a  branch  of 
a  tree  in  the  water  and  then  besprinkle  both 
Meester  Bob  and  me  as  also  the  strong  Goodboy 
horse.  It  was  so  nice  to  have  a  large  laugh 
with  two  companions  in  that  forest  while 
Meester  Bob  did  hold  that  small  Bill  by  one  of 
his  legs  and  let  him  almost  down  into  the 
water  for  the  wetness  of  his  head. 

Celeste,  who  is  called  now  the  nice  honey 
name,"  I  said  to  myself,  this  time  with  such  a 
great  softness  that  I  am  sure  it  is  not  possible  to 
that  kind  Meester  Bob  to  hear,  "is  it  a  bird 
with  wings  that  is  your  heart  from  such  a  happi- 
ness?" And  it  is  that  I  am  sure  Meester  Bob 
did  not  hear  the  words  that  I  spoke,  but,  behold ! 
he  again  turned  his  cheek  and  the  inch  from  my 
hair  is  this  time  but  a  fraction.  If  I  should  come 
closer  to  him  my  head  would  rest  somewhat 
higher  against  the  back  of  his  broad  shoulder 
and  nearer  his  cheek,  but  I  have  not  quite  that 
largeness  of  courage. 

"I'm  hungry,"  then  said  that  small  Bill, 'to 
whom  is  there  immediately  an  answer  from  with- 
in myself  of  like  feeling. 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

Then  it  is  that  Meester  Bob  did  halt  nice 
Goodboy  and  made  a  great  banquet  for  the 
small  Bill  and  the  good  Shep  dog  and  Goodboy 
horse  and  me,  also  himself  last. 

And  now  again  I  ask  myself  why  is  it  that  I 
have  always  here  in  this  forest  of  Meester  Bob 
such  a  terribleness  of  great  hunger.  I  cannot 
sit  with  good  conduct  and  watch  that  bacon  and 
that  pone  bread  cook  to  a  fine  brownness,  but  I 
must  eat  all  the  many  small  bits  that  become 
brown  first  and  which  that  sympathetic  man 
did  break  from  all  the  edges  and  hand  almost 
into  my  mouth  from  their  hotness. 

"You  are  a  kid,"  remarked  that  Meester  Bob 
to  me  as  I  swallowed  with  a  great  quickness  a 
very  small  thinness  of  potato  and  made  imme- 
diately open  my  mouth  for  a  crispness  of  bacon 
that  I  see  is  ready  in  what  I  now  know  to  call 
a  fry-pan. 

"That  girl  is  just  like  a  baby  bird  with  a 
daddy  bird  a-f ceding  it,"  thereupon  remarked 
small  Bill  as  he  also  put  into  my  mouth  a 
crispness  from  the  first  pone  bread  that  Meester 
Bob  had  given  to  him.  And  again  it  was  that 
we  enjoyed  a  nice  laugh. 

72 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

"That  ugly  old  man  wouldn't  eat  maw's  corn- 
bread  in  our  house.  Would  he,  Mister  Bob?" 
asked  that  small  Bill  in  the  very  center  of  my 
laughing  happiness  and  made  me  to  again  have 
fear  and  hate  of  my  uncle  Dyreck  de  Berseck. 

"Nice  Augustus  did  pretty  well  by  his  part  of 
the  corn-pone,"  said  Meester  Bob,  and  he  did 
not  look  at  me  while  he  gave  me  a  large  piece 
of  pone  with  much  bacon  hot  between.  "Per- 
haps you'll  have  to  learn  to  make  this  Tennessee 
national  dish,  Miss  Celeste." 

And  I  make  a  question  to  myself  why  I  should 
become  so  angry  when  good  Meester  Bob  spoke 
so  to  me  of  that  poor  young  Prince  Louis  Au- 
gustus, who  was  seeking  me  lost  in  a  forest,  that 
I  threw  down  upon  a  rock  a  great  piece  of  the 
entirely  good  pone  bread,  for  which  I  was  so 
empty,  and  did  walk  away  into  the  forest  as 
tall  and  as  stately  as  is  possible  to  me. 

And  did  that  kind  Meester  Bob  follow  after 
me  immediately?  He  did  not.  He  again  put 
upon  nice  Goodboy  horse  the  blanket  that  is  for 
my  rocking-chair  while  that  small  Bill  assisted 
in  the  repast  of  the  good  Shep  dog  by  offering  to 
her  bits  of  the  food,  like  he  had  observed  that 

73 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

Meester  Bob  do  to  me.  It  was  possible  to  me 
to  see,  with  not  a  perceptible  turning  of  the 
head,  when  that  Meester  Bob  mounted  upon 
the  Goodboy  horse  and  did  lift  small  Bill  up 
on  the  place  against  the  strongness  of  his 
shoulders  that  is  mine.  Suddenly  I  felt  that 
I  was  alone  in  that  great  forest,  through  which  a 
cold  wind  was  now  blowing,  and  also  alone  in 
the  great  world,  with  all  that  loved  me  dead 
across  the  ocean  in  which  are  the  terrible  mines 
of  explosion,  with  a  wicked  uncle  not  so  far 
away.  Tears  rose  from  the  place  in  the  bottom 
of  my  heart,  where  I  did  discover  not  so  long 
ago  in  Belgium  that  I  possessed  a  lake  of  them, 
and  so  flooded  my  eyes  that  I  was  blind  and 
reached  out  to  lay  my  hand  on  a  tree  so  that  I 
should  not  fall.  I  was  desolate;  but  for  only  a 
very  small  moment,  for  beside  me  was  the  Good- 
boy  horse  and  in  two  arms  of  such  great  strength 
as  I  had  never  known  to  exist  I  was  lifted  to  the 
place  of  that  small  Bill  on  the  front  of  the 
saddle,  while  the  warm  lips  of  that  kind  Meester 
Bob  did  whisper  in  my  ear,  very  close: 

"Forgive  me,  dear!" 

"Please,  yes,"  was  the  answer  I  made  in  such 
74 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

contentment  that  I  did  not  care  that  the  wetness 
from  my  eyes  did  make  damp  his  cheek  that  was 
not  then  even  that  whole  fraction  of  the  inch 
away. 

"I'm  letting  you  ride  in  front  just  a  little 
way,  girl,"  then  did  small  Bill  make  remark  to 
me  from  down  in  my  rocking-chair  place  on  the 
back  part  of  the  nice  Goodboy  horse. 

And  that  Meester  Bob  did  laugh  with  a  great 
merriment  as  he  allowed  me  to  take  the  reins  of 
the  bridle  to  that  nice  Goodboy  and  guide  him 
on  through  the  trees  while  he  made  me  secure 
against  the  strength  of  his  arm. 

And  it  was  the  time  for  the  setting  of  the  sun 
as  we  did  ride  toward  its  golden  hue  through  the 
trees,  that  were  not  of  such  a  thickness  now.  I 
was  of  such  a  happiness  that  it  was  impossible 
for  me  to  prevent  that  I  looked  at  each  moment 
into  the  kind  Irish  eyes  back  of  the  blackness 
of  their  lashes  that  smiled  to  me  each  time  in 
answer. 

"You  child,  you  little,  little  child!"  once  that 
Meester  Bob's  lips  said  to  me  with  the  softness 
of  his  eyes  in  smiling,  but  his  cheek  was  not  at 
all  near  to  mine  and  immediately  his  mouth 

75 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

assumed  a  great  strongness.  "I  wonder  just 
where  in  Texas  the  tracer  will  find  your  kind 
Miss  Jane,"  he  remarked  as  if  to  himself  and 
not  at  all  to  me. 

"I  do  not  care,"  I  answered  to  him  with  a 
most  unjust  indifference  in  my  heart  to  that 
loving  Mees  Jane.  "I  do  only  care  that — " 

"There's  the  chimley  of  Granny  White's; 
there  it  is !"  at  this  beautiful  moment  interrupted 
small  Bill.  "Git  up,  Goodboy!"  And  imme- 
diately that  kind  horse  commenced  a  great  hurry 
forward. 

"Wait  a  minute,  Bill!  Whoa,  Goodboy!" 
said  that  Meester  Bob  as  he  laid  his  large  and 
nice  hand  over  mine  and  drew  the  Goodboy 
horse  up  to  stop. 

"I'm  going  to  leave  you  here  again  behind  this 
rock  in  another  nest  of  buck-bushes,  Miss 
Celeste,  and  for  the  love  of  Heaven  stay  until 
I  see  just  who  is  there  and  just  who  has  been 
there."  And  with  which  words  that  good 
Meester  Bob  put  me  from  his  arms  and  the 
back  of  the  Goodboy  horse  on  to  the  ground. 

"I  will  be  of  a  very  great  goodness,  kind 
Meester  Bob,  and  stay  in  hiding  for  you,"  I 

76 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

answered  as  I  looked  up  into  those  eyes  of  so 
great  loving  beauty  that  looked  down  into  mine 
at  the  same  small  moment. 

"I'll  stay  with  you,  girl.  I  can  wait  to  see 
my  mother,"  then  said  that  small  Bill  as  he 
also  looked  down  affection  into  my  eyes  from 
his  that  had  in  them  also  a  very  great  mother 
eagerness. 

"No,  Bill,  old  man,  I'd  rather  tell  Mamie 
about  the  loss  of  the  house  with  you  found  in  her 
sight,"  quickly  said  that  good  Meester  Bob  with 
a  so  lovely  mother  comprehension  in  his  voice 
that  tears  arose  in  my  throat  and  in  defiance  of  his 
dignity  I  did  for  a  small  moment  clasp  to  my 
breast  one  very  soiled  and  scratched  foot  of 
small  Bill  that  hung  from  Goodboy  horse  near 
to  me. 

"No  tears,  honey  lady,  until  I  come?"  then 
did  that  kind  Meester  Bob  lean  down  and  ask 
of  me  while  small  Bill  quickly  withdrew  from 
my  humble  embrace. 

"Yes,  please,  sir,"  I  made  answer  to  him  as 
he  started  that  Goodboy  horse  rapidly  toward 
the  house  away  to  the  left  beside  a  broad  road 
that  did  wind  in  and  out  of  the  great  trees.  I 

6  77 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

now  know  that  road  to  be  called  Providence 
Road,  and  it  is  made  from  the  path  by  which, 
in  the  time  of  Indians,  many  fine  people  came 
from  all  nations  to  build  the  great  State  of 
Tennessee,  America.  At  that  time  I  had  not 
heard  of  its  significance,  but  as  I  looked  forth 
from  the  bushes  to  see  the  long  white  curve  go 
over  a  tall  hill  I  did  sing  to  myself,  I  knew  not 
why: 

"It  is  a  long,  long  way  to  Tipperary/ 
"And  it  has  led  you  from  darkness  and 
weeping  into  some  peace  and  light,  Celeste 
de  Krymn,"  I  did  further  assure  myself  as  I 
looked  forth  to  that  abode  of  Granny  White 
into  which  my  good  Meester  Bob  and  my 
beloved  small  Bill  had  disappeared  through  a 
door  that  is  covered  over  with  a  vine  of  a 
great  thickness  of  small  white  flowers  that  had 
a  fragrance  which  did  penetrate  across  that 
Providence  Road  to  my  breath. 

"It  is  not  the  house  of  a  peasant,  is  this 
abode  of  Granny  White,  and  it  is  not  also 
the  residence  of  a  landed  proprietor,  but  it 
is  a  most  lovely  home  in  which  to  live,"  I  did 
think  to  myself  from  behind  that  safe  rock.  It 

78 


OUT   OF'A   CLEAR   SKY 

is  not  tall,  but  is  low  and  has  many  rooms  that 
give  the  impression  of  white  wings  stretched 
out  to  shelter  many  children,  and  very  large 
chimneys  of  rude  rock  smoke  with  a  great 
warmth  and  pleasantness,  while  over  many  win- 
dows is  that  very  sweet  vine  and  also  one  of  a 
crimson-and-gold  hue  of  the  autumn.  It  made 
a  very  pleasant  smile  for  me  to  see  a  nice  white 
chicken  go  and  look  with  a  great  caution  into 
the  wide  door  and  then  softly  enter,  while  it 
was  with  emotion  that  I  beheld  a  red  swine  come 
from  the  rear  of  the  house  and  regard  the  entrance 
of  the  hen  into  the  door  with  a  great  longing. 
And  then  suddenly  I  had  a  very  nice  laugh 
with  myself  when  I  did  behold  that  small  Bill 
come  and  make  a  great  play  with  the  swine 
while  they  both  disappeared  to  the  rear  of  the 
house.  At  the  same  time  forth  came  the  chicken 
in  great  perturbation. 

"Celeste  de  Kryrnn,"  I  then  said  to  myself, 
"it  will  be  a  great  happiness  to  you  when  you 
go  with  your  kind  Meester  Bob  into  that  nice 
house  to  rest  in  a  bed  and  be  clean  again  and 
also  at  home.  He  will  come  for  you  almost 
immediately  now." 

79 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

Then  as  I  spoke  to  myself  in  this  fashion  of 
great  contentment  suddenly  a  woman's  cry, 
which  I  do  not  know  is  of  joy  or  pain,  is  heard 
and  with  it  came  a  small  wail  that  did  pierce 
to  the  very  heart  of  me  and  give  me  a  greatness 
of  fear  which  I  did  not  comprehend. 

"What  is  it?"  I  asked  of  myself,  and  I  did 
start  to  my  feet  to  go  to  that  wailing,  but 
instantly  did  remember  my  promise  to  that 
good  Meester  Bob  to  stay  in  hiding  until  he 
could  arrive  back  for  me.  I  must  wait,  in  all 
honor. 

And  again  there  came  to  my  listening  heart 
that  very  feeble  cry  which  was  like  that  of  a 
small  little  child. 

"I  must  go  to  find  a  woman  and  a  child 
that  have  perhaps  need  of  me,"  I  answered  to 
that  myself  who  did  hold  me  back  by  that 
promise  to  kind  Meester  Bob.  "I  must  go!" 
And  with  that  answer  I  did  start  from  my 
hiding-place  in  the  direction  of  that  Granny 
White  house  and  with  a  great  rapidity  I  did 
cross  the  road  to  the  little  white  gate  with  some 
of  the  sweet  vine  beside  it. 


VI 

"THE  LITTLE  HUMAN" 

AJD  behold  it  happened  that  at  that  mo- 
ment my  kind  Meester  Bob  is  coming 
out  to  me  with  as  great  a  rapidity.  He  is  in 
a  very  great  perturbation  and  one  of  those 
locks  of  red-and-gold  hair  is  very  rampant  over 
his*  head,  also  his  eyes  have  a  so  great  an 
embarrassment,  as  it  is  called,  that  it  was  im- 
possible for  me  to  make  that  they  meet  with 
mine. 

"Little  girl,"  he  said  to  me  from  his  side  of 
the  gate  as  we  made  a  pause  near  to  each  other, 
"that  express  train  dropped  you  off  into  the 
Harpeth  Valley  woods  and  also  into — into  a 
bit  of  real  life.  There's  a  woman  in  there  who 
needs  the  woman  that  I  am  sure  is  in  your 
sweet  heart.  Go  to  her  and  God  bless  you  both ! 
Call  me  if  you  need  me;  I'll  be  in  the  barn  with 

81 


OUT  OF  A   CLEAR   SKY 

Bill,  where  men  folks  belong  under  such  cir- 
cumstances." And  before  I  can  make  a  ques- 
tion or  an  answer  he  has  followed  in  the  path  of 
small  Bill  and  also  the  red  swine,  likewise  the 
sly  chicken,  out  of  my  sight. 

And  as  I  stood  at  that  gate  in  front  of  that 
wide  door  of  such  a  greatness  of  hospitality 
I  found  myself  in  fear.  I  do  not  know  what 
it  is  that  I  must  do  and  why  had  that  kind 
Meester  Bob  left  me  to  enter  alone  into  the 
strangeness  of  that  house.  But  while  I  did 
hesitate  and  question  myself  again  that  very 
small  cry  came  to  my  heart  and  with  feet  of 
wings  I  ran  into  the  house  to  make  answer,  I 
knew  not  to  what,  but  I  knew  that  I  must  go. 

And  what  did  I  find?  On  a  very  white  and 
wide  bed  in  a  corner  of  a  large  and  low  room 
was  laid  a  woman  and  at  her  side  there  rested 
a  bundle  of  white  cloth  that  did  wail  and  with- 
out ceasing. 

"What  is  it,  Madame?"  I  asked  of  her  from 
close  at  her  side. 

"I  got  him  here  by  myself  and  he's  all  right 
now,  but  I  can't  do  any  more.  I'm  glad  you 
are  a  woman  that  can  keep  him  wrapped  up 

82 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

and  warm  while  I  rest  and  get  some  sleep. 
I'm  all  right,  but  it  has  been  a  powerful  night. 
He  came  at  daylight.  Call  Mister  Bob  if  you 
need  him,  and  cook  something  for  you  all  to 
eat.  I've  got  to  sleep;  take  him  to  the  fire!" 
And  with  which  command  the  poor,  pale  woman 
turned  her  face  to  the  wall  and  slept,  leaving 
me  in  a  great  confusion  with  that  small  bundle 
that  did  wail  and  wail  the  more. 

"What  is  it  that  I  shall  do,  Celeste?"  I  ques- 
tioned myself  as  I  lifted  into  my  arms  the  small 
wail  which  at  that  moment  did  cease 

I  then  turned  aside  a  corner  of  the  white 
cloth  and  the  gray  wool  swathing  and  did 
behold  the  most  peculiar  creature  of  a  very 
great  redness,  but  which  also  was  in  some  way 
strangely  beautiful  to  me.  Upon  it  was  a 
coarse  white  garment,  and  it  was  evidently  a 
very  nice  human  being  in  a  very  small  beginning. 
I  immediately  wrapped  it  with  a  great  closeness 
in  my  arms  and  the  gray  wool,  and  did  carry 
it  to  the  very  small  fire  in  the  largeness  of  the 
chimney.  There  was  no  more  of  that  cry,  but 
that  little  human  did  make  a  small  noise  with 
its  mouth  which  I  decided  must  be  of  hunger, 

83 


OUT   OF   A    CLEAR    SKY 

and  I  thereupon  began  to  dread  more  of  the 
cries  which  would  awaken  that  poor  fatigued 
mother  in  the  white  bed. 

"Food  must  be  cooked  for  this  human, 
Celeste,  and  it  is  impossible  to  you  while  you 
must  hold  it  in  your  arms  away  from  the  cries. 
You  must  summons  that  kind  Meester  Bob," 
I  counseled  myself  and  did  immediately  act 
thereupon.  Also  at  mention  of  food  I  again, 
found  in  myself  that  hunger  that  I  did  not  un- 
derstand. It  was  at  that  moment  that  Meester 
Bob  made  entrance  with  also  small  Bill. 

"This  child  has  a  great  hunger  and  cold, 
kind  Meester  Bob,  and  will  you  provide  fuel 
sticks  and  maybe  some  corn-pone  for  him  and 
me  also  and  that  small  Bill  as  well  as  you?" 
I  asked  of  him  while  I  did  rock  myself  in  a  low 
chair  with  that  little  human  very  close  to  my 
breast  for  warmth  and  no  weeping.  But  at 
that  request  of  mine  that  Meester  Bob  did 
very  softly  laugh  as  small  Bill  made  a  high  fire 
from  sticks  in  a  box  beside  the  chimney  that 
I  had  not  observed. 

"Mamie  felt  her  hour  coming  and  hurried 
on  over  here  yesterday  afternoon  to  her  mother, 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

Granny  White,  leaving  Steve  to  bring  Bill.  She 
found  Granny  gone  around  by  the  bend  to 
fetch  her  and  just  then  the  storm  broke.  Mamie 
has  been  here  all  night  alone,  and  Granny  is 
tied  up  somewhere  in  the  bend  by  the  flood  of 
Little  Harpeth  River.  Pretty  plucky  of  her  to 
get  that  young  whale  here  all  by  herself  in  the 
dark  of  the  night  and  the  storm.  Here,  Bill* 
come  and  look  at  your  young  brother,  who  will 
be  punching  your  head  before  the  decade  is 
out."  And  that  kind  Meester  Bob  drew  a  chair 
very  close  to  the  little  human  in  my  arms  and 
lifted  the  woolen  cloth  that  small  Bill  might  see 
his  countenance. 

"He  ain't  as  pretty  as  them  pups  that  Shep 
found  last  month,  is  he?"  asked  that  small  Bill. 
At  which  unkindness  Meester  Bob  did  laugh 
with  a  cruelty  that  made  me  to  cover  close  my 
little  human  and  make  a  small  singing  in  my 
throat  for  him,  with  my  head  held  with  offense 
as  high  as  is  possible  to  me. 

"This  is  a  child  of  great  beauty,"  I  an- 
nounced to  the  both  of  those  offenders.  "And 
also  of  great  hunger,"  I  added,  with  a  slight 
smile  of  propitiation  as  a  very  small  animal 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

noise  again  issued  from  the  throat  of  my  little 
human  in  my  arms. 

"We'll  make  him  a  pot  of — shall  we  say  corn- 
meal  gruel  for  his  supper — er — er — via  Mamie 
when  she  wakes,"  said  that  kind  Meester  Bob 
with  a  great  teasingness  in  his  smile  that  is 
cast  upon  me  and  my  little  human. 

It  was  then  that  I  did  understand  and  re- 
member about  the  feeding  of  the  young  and 
did  blush  into  the  wrappings  of  the  little  hu- 
man while  rocking  it  upon  my  breast  with  more 
of  the  Tipperary  croonings. 

"And  it  is  about  four  hours  since  I  filled  up 
you,  honey  lady,  and  also  Bill,"  that  Meester 
Bob  did  make  a  great  haste  to  say  further. 
"I  don't  dare  risk  letting  you  be  empty  any 
longer;  I'd  never  get  you  full.  How  about 
some  scrambled  eggs  and  that  nice  fryer  I  see 
Granny  has  put  all  ready  to  be  cooked  down  in 
the  milk-house?" 

"I  have  the  greatness  of  delight  at  what  you 
say,  but  I  do  riot  know  that  word  'fryer,'  al- 
though I  will  eat  it  with  pleasure,"  I  made 
answer  with  a  nice  smile  of  joy. 

"Fryer'  is  another  word  for  a  small  chicken." 
86 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

And  go  get  it,  Bill,  while  I  fire  up  the  cook- 
stove,"  answered  that  Meester  Bob,  with  an- 
other laugh. 

And  it  is  that  in  all  my  future  life  I  do  not 
believe  that  there  will  ever  come  a  more  beau- 
tiful day  than  that  in  the  house  of  Granny 
White  with  all  those  so  kind  friends.  That 
Mamie  is  a  very  pretty,  nice  woman  who  is  a 
peasant,  but  not  exactly  so,  either.  When  she 
did  awaken  that  kind  Meester  Bob  made  jokes 
with  her  and  did  give  the  nice  gruel  to  her  in 
a  bowl  that  Bill  did  hold  for  her  while  it  is  con- 
sumed. And  then,  as  the  sun  is  beginning  to 
fall  down  on  to  the  trees  up  that  Providence 
Road,  sweet  Mamie  did  call  to  me  and  ask  that 
I  bring  to  her  the  little  human  for  his  repast 
also. 

It  is  with  a  very  great  reverence  that  I  laid 
that  small  child  to  her  full  and  white  breast 
as  she  so  directed  me,  and  then  into  my  eyes 
from  that  lake  of  Belgian  tears  in  my  heart,  did 
great  ones  arise  as  I  thought  me  of  my  own 
beautiful  English  mother  who  is  dead  in  that 
grave  in  Devonshire  who  did  once  so  hold 
poor  Celeste  and  so  nourish  her.  Now  is  her 

87 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

child  a  wanderer  in  a  great,  strange  land  and 
Belgium  is  slain. 

' '  What  is  it,  child ?  Tell  Mamie  ?"  that  kind 
mother  asked  of  me,  and  I  did  drop  on  my  knees 
at  the  side  of  her  and  the  little  human  and  weep 
into  her  strong  shoulder  under  a  nightrobe  of 
great  coarseness,  but  also  cleanliness,  that  felt 
soft  and  warm  to  my  tired  head. 

My  story  is  of  a  great  slowness  in  the  telling, 
and  that  good  Mamie  did  permit  that  I  weep 
while  I  made  it  all  so  that  she  should  under- 
stand. I  only  left  untold  to  her  the  ascension 
in  the  lightning  of  her  house  and  her  quilt 
and  her  swine,  and  presented  as  a  reason  for 
wearing  her  frock  my  dampness,  also  an  apology 
for  the  untying  of  that  Bill. 

"You  are  welcome  to  the  dress,  child,  and  to 
the  company  of  Bill,"  that  good  Mamie  made 
answer  to  me  as  she  put  with  a  beautiful  kind- 
ness her  hand  upon  my  head.  "And,  sweetie, 
thank  the  good  Lord  that  it  was  Mister  Bob 
who  picked  you  up  in  the  woods.  Men  with 
a  cross  of  the  angel  Gabriel  on  their  disposi- 
tions don't  grow  on  all  the  bushes  in  the  woods  of 
Old  Harpeth." 

88 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

"It  is  true  that  he  is  an  angel,  that  good,  kind 
Meester  Bob, ' '  I  made  answer  to  her,  with  a  great 
readiness. 

"No,  just  a  kind  of  a  cross-breed  from  one," 
answered  that  Mamie,  with  a  little  laugh,  and 
I  saw  that  good  Meester  Bob  is  close  behind  me 
beside  the  bed. 

"Mamie,"  said  that  Meester  Bob  angel,  with 
one  of  those  smiles  of  great  loveliness  as  he  ob- 
served but  did  not  remark  upon  my  weeping, 
only  that  he  laid  a  kind  hand  for  just  one 
little  second  upon  my  very  much  disordered 
hair,  "who  in  all  the  world  would  you  rather 
I  should  tell  you  is  coming  up  the  road  from 
the  bend?" 

"Steve!"  made  reply  that  Mamie,  with  a 
sweetness  in  her  face  that  is  a  very  great  glory 
as  she  did  hold  closer  against  her  white  breast 
the  little  human  who  is  still  at  repast.  But 
when  she  said  that  name  "Steve"  of  such  a  joy 
to  her  the  greatness  of  fear  again  came  back 
upon  me,  for  had  not  that  good  Meester  Bob 
said  that  Steve,  his  retainer,  was  with  that 
wicked  uncle  of  mine  and  the  poor  young 
Prince  Louis  Augustus? 

89 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

"Meester  Bob!"  I  made  a  quick  exclamation 
and  sprang  up  from  beside  that  good  Mamie 
and  the  very  beautiful  little  human. 

"No,  child,"  he  said  to  me,  very  quickly, 
and  gave  to  me  the  strength  of  his  arm  to  hold 
in  my  clasp.  "Girls,  Granny  White  is  coming 
down  Providence  Road  behind  old  Roan  in  the 
buggy,  and  everything  in  this  house  had  better 
be  stirring  around  before  she  gets  here." 

"Oh,  mother!  I  am  so  glad,"  then  made  re- 
ply that  good  Mamie  with  another  kind  of  the 
greatness  of  joy  in  her  face.  I  see  that  for 
husbands  women  have  one  love  and  for  mothers 
another  that  is  as  great,  as  it  is  also  not  the 
same.  "Wash  Bill's  face  quick,  please,  Miss 
Celeste,"  she  also  requested  me. 

"Here,  come  out  on  the  back  porch  for  the 
operation,  honey  lady,  and  it  won't  hurt  you 
to  polish  up  a  bit  yourself.  There  is  just  a 
trace  of  jam  next  that  left  dimple.  Come 
here,  Bill!"  And  in  a  very  great  hurry  that 
Meester  Bob  did  bring  that  small  Bill  to  me 
and  point  out  a  pan  of  tin  and  a  large  bucket 
with  a  clean  cloth  hanging  beside. 

' '  Let  me  alone !  my  face  ain't  dirty !  I  washed 
90 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

it  yesterday  myself,"  remonstrated  that  Bill, 
but  kind  Meester  Bob  held  him  securely  while 
I  made  him  very  beautiful  as  to  his  rosy  cheeks, 
not  neglecting  also  the  ears  of  which  that 
Meester  Bob  did  remind  me,  also  the  hands 
upon  which  were  many  stains.  Then  with  great 
joy  was  that  small  Bill  in  possession  of  his 
freedom  and  running  down  that  Providence 
Road  to  meet  the  oncoming  of  this  Granny 
White. 

"Now  come  here,  young  lady,  and  let  me 
wash  your  face,"  then  said  that  funny  Meester 
Bob  to  me  with  a  nice  light  of  a  smile  in  his 
beautiful  eyes  behind  the  blackness  of  the  so 
long  lashes,  and  in  his  hand  he  held  the  clean 
end  of  that  large  cloth  upon  which  he  had 
poured  water.  I  can  see  that  he  has  a  great 
longing  to  tease  me  and  cause  me  also  to  laugh, 
while  expecting  me  to  indignantly  refuse  his 
command.  And  did  I  refuse  that  command? 
I  did  not. 

"Please  do,  good,  kind,  clean  Meester  Bob," 
I  made  answer  to  him,  and  went  very  close 
to  his  side  to  hold  up  my  face  for  the  wetness 
of  the  cloth.  For  a  long  moment  I  did  not 

91 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

know  what  he  would  do,  and  a  nice  color  came 
up  under  the  loveliness  of  those  eyes,  then  he 
gave  to  me  another  of  those  so  very  nice  laughs 
down  in  his  throat  and  said : 

"So  you  call  my  bluff,  Lady  of  Honey?  Well, 
here  goes,  with  Heaven  helping!"  And  he 
made  a  wash  of  my  face  with  a  very  great 
niceness. 

"Thank  you,  kind  sir,"  I  returned  to  him 
from  behind  that  cloth.  "Perhaps  it  is  that 
you  are  not  aware  that  much  soil  is  upon  your 
own  countenance  for  the  arrival  of  that  Granny 
White  which  I  hear  coming  near  upon  the  road." 

"Just  watch  me!"  he  responded  to  me,  and 
thereupon  did  plunge  his  face  and  the  soap 
together  into  the  large  pan  of  water  with  a 
great  noise  as  of  swimming  like  in  Ostend. 

"Beware  that  you  make  a  drowning  of  your- 
self!" I  admonished  him,  with  a  greatness  of 
solicitude,  while  I  did  lend  to  him  a  part  of  the 
cloth  upon  which  I  was  making  dry  my  hands 
after  my  face. 

"You  are  one  good  sport,  honey  child,  all 
right,"  he  said  to  me  through  much  rubbing  of 
his  face. 

92 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

"What  is  that  'good  sport'  that  I  am,  with 
gratitude  to  you?"  I  made  answer,  and  ques- 
tioned him  at  the  same  moment. 

"I'll  tell  you  to-night  when  the  moon  comes 
up — out  here  under  the  honeysuckles,"  he  an- 
swered to  me  with  a  great  sweetness  of  smile  as 
he  placed  again  the  long  cloth  upon  the  wall. 
"Now  come  watch  me  break  the  baby  to 
Granny."  And  we  did  go  forth  together  to  the 
gate  to  welcome  that  so  great  Granny  White 
of  whom  I  had  heard  much  and  of  whom  I  had 
then  a  small  fear.  It  is  not  so  now;  and  I 
give  to  her  a  love  of  the  greatness  of  that  in 
which  I  hold  Mamie  and  that  small  Bill  and 
my  little  human. 

This  is  the  manner  in  which  she  made  en- 
trance into  my  life  as  we  arrived  at  the  white 
gate  with  the  sweet  vine  upon  it.  She  had 
made  to  stop  in  the  Providence  Road  a  very 
large  and  very  fat,  also  aged  horse  which  drew 
behind  him  a  vehicle  of  a  great  wideness  and 
also  great  age  the  like  of  which  I  had  not  before 
beheld.  Immediately  that  kind  Meester  Bob 
did  go  forward  and  assist  that  she  dismount 
from  that  very  peculiar  chariot  while  that  small 

7  93 


OUT   OF   A    CLEAR    SKY 

Bill  held  tight  reins  upon  that  horse  who  had 
the  air  that  he  should  never  move  again. 

"Lands  alive!  I  am  as  stiff  from  this  all- 
night  setting-party  as  an  old  Dominicker  the 
day  she  brings  off  a  brood.  Ease  me  down  slow, 
Bob."  And  with  that  command  the  good 
Meester  Bob,  with  that  great  strength  of  arm 
which  I  have  felt  him  to  possess,  did  assist  the 
very  large  lady  to  stand  upon  the  ground. 

Then  both  Meester  Bob  and  that  Granny  White 
did  turn  in  the  direction  of  me  beside  the  gate. 

"This  is  Celeste,  a  friend  of  mine  I  brought 
to  your  hovering  for  a  few  days,  Granny," 
said  that  kind  Meester  Bob  as  he  drew  me 
with  his  hand  near  to  that  Granny  White. 
For  a  moment  I  stood  away,  for  I  do  not  know 
what  is  to  be  said. 

"Come  right  here  to  Granny,  rosebud,"  then 
said  that  Granny  White  to  me,  and  she  did 
fold  me  into  her  arms  and  against  a  very 
white  and  soft  kerchief  upon  her  bosom  that 
had  upon  it  a  fragrance  not  unlike  that  from 
the  vine  over  her  door  and  upon  her  gate. 
"Granny  understands,  and  she'll  keep  you 
safe."  And  she  did  smile  down  upon  me  in  a 

94 


OUT   OF   A    CLEAR    SKY 

very  great  goodness  with  sweet  gray,  aged  eyes, 
while  a  white  curl  of  much  beauty  waved  from 
beneath  a  large  and  fearful  bonnet  that  had 
become  pushed  back  from  her  face. 

"It  is  that  I  thank  you,"  I  made  answer  to 
her  kindness.  "And  I  rest  by  you  with  great 
contentment." 

"And  now  I'll  have  to  chastise  Mamie  for 
her  impudence  to  me  in  having  that  baby  with- 
out me,"  remarked  then  that  sweet  Granny 
White  with  a  laugh  all  over  her  face. 

"Bill,  I  could  chastise  you  for  telling  the 
news,"  answered  that  kind  Meester  Bob  to  that 
small  Bill,  who  is  preparing  to  start  the  aged 
and  fat  animal  into  a  wide  gate  at  the  side  of 
the  house.  "It's  a  combination  of  a  whale 
and  an  elephant,  Granny,  and  I  wanted  to 
break  it  to  you  myself." 

"It  is  a  child  of  a  greatness  of  beauty  that 
I  have  not  seen  before,"  I  immediately  made 
answer  to  that  kind  Meester  Bob's  unkind 
remark  about  my  little  human,  while  all  the 
three  of  us  made  progress  slowly  on  account 
of  the  great  largeness  of  that  sweet  Granny 
White  into  the  house. 

95 


OUT   OF   A    CLEAR    SKY 

"The  specs  women  look  at  babies  through 
have  'been  polished  by  love  and  pain,  while  the 
men  folks  use  goggles  of  blue  glass  on  account 
of  jealousy,"  that  sweet  Granny  made  answer 
to  Meester  Bob  with  a  nice  laugh  of  great 
largeness,  which  made  the  perfumed  kerchief 
to  rise  and  to  fall  like  a  white  billow  of  the 
ocean.  I  do  not  understand  all  of  the  words 
which  she  did  employ,  but  I  knew  it  to  be  of  a 
great  truth  and  I  looked  at  that  Meester  Bob 
with  much  triumph. 

"Wait  here  and  forgive  me  for  being  a  brute 
while  poor  Mamie  catches  it  from  Granny  for 
her  disrespect,"  that  Meester  Bob  did  make 
answer  to  me  as  he  put  forth  his  hand  and  drew 
me  under  that  vine  of  great  fragrance  upon  the 
porch  of  the  house. 

"Is  it  that  you  do  not  love  the  little  human?" 
I  asked  of  that  kind  Meester  Bob  as  he  leaned 
against  the  wall  and  did  begin  to  fill  with 
tobacco  a  very  brown  little  pipe  which  he  had 
inquired  if  I  will  allow  that  he  smoke. 

"Do  not  confuse  race  approval  with  love, 
child,"  he  made  answer  to  me  as  he  blew  one 
little  puff  of  smoke  that  it  might  come  in  my 

96 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

direction.  "Love  is  what  pipes  from  the  woods 
in  the  full  of  the  moon  and,  and —  Well,  it 
often  does  have  race  results.  You  don't  un- 
derstand a  word  I  say,  do  you,  young  child — 
fortunately?" 

' '  I  know  about  what  you  speak,  but  I  do  not 
understand  all  of  the  words.  Teach  me  what 
is  that  'pipes'  which  love — 

"A  bucket  of  cool  water  from  the  spring 
would  be  a  nice  attention  from  you,  Bob  Law- 
rence, to  your  Granny,  and  send  that  rosebud  in 
here  to  me  to  learn  a  little  about  riz  biscuits 
as  well  as  moonshine,"  came  a  great  interruption 
from  the  open  door  in  that  so  kind  voice  of  be- 
loved Granny  White. 

"Continued  later  when  the  moon  gets  strong- 
er. Coming,  Granny!"  answered  that  Meester 
Bob  as  he  made  his  disappearance  around  the 
house  with  the  large  bucket,  while  I  made  mine 
by  entering  the  door  with  a  great  rapidity. 
And  within  the  house  what  do  I  find? 


VII 

PRINCE   LOUIS   AUGUSTUS    ON   THE   TRAIL 

I  FIND  that  a  great  lady,  like  Celeste  de 
Krymn,  is  a  person  of  large  ignorance  about 
the  matters  that  are  important  to  life.  Since 
very  small  childhood  it  is  that  I  have  had,  for 
my  instruction,  many  very  good  governesses, 
that  my  Mees  Jane  and  my  beautiful  lady 
mother  have  taken  for  me  with  the  greatness  of 
care ;  also  masters  that  I  do  dance  with  beauty 
and  fence  with  slender  swords  and  ride  upon  fine 
horses  with  much  grace.  A  lady  has  lived 
always  at  Krymnwolde  that  she  may  instruct 
the  young  Countess  Celeste  in  sewing  a  fine 
seam  of  embroideries,  and  another  is  for  the 
training  of  her  hands  to  the  piano,  also  her 
voice  for  sweet  music,  but  behold  is  it  that  one 
of  these  masters  and  ladies  have  instructed 
Celeste  de  Krymn  in  a  method  to  break  one 

98 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

egg  in  two  parts  of  respective  white  and  yellow 
for  what  is  known  in  Tennessee,  America,  to  be 
that  custard  pie?  Never! 

"Hearts  mustn't  smash  as  easy  as  eggs,  rose- 
bud," remarked  that  much-loved  Granny  White 
to  me  as  she  did  give  to  me  another  bowl  with 
two  eggs  again  for  a  trial  when  she  sees  that  I 
begin  to  weep.  ' '  Now  that  is  a  nice  clean  break 
just  as  I  showed  you,"  she  then  applauded  me 
as  I  at  last  succeeded  in  making  that  very 
perilous  division  of  yellow  from  white.  "Break 
two  more,  and  for  once  I'll  fill  up  Bob  Lawrence 
on  cup  custards,  with  your  assistance." 

Oh,  it  was  with  such  a  greatness  of  joy  that  I 
proceed  to  break  many  more  of  the  difficult 
eggs  and  beat  upon  them  with  a  spoon  that  my 
kind  Meester  Bob  may  eat  of  that  custard  to 
his  fullness. 

"Yes,"  answered  that  beloved  Granny  White 
to  me  when  she  has  beheld  the  greatness  of 
my  labor  with  the  nice  eggs,  "that  is  about 
enough  to  feed  a  church  festival,  rosebud,  and 
now  it  would  be  a  good  thing  for  you  to  go  and 
tell  Mamie  not  to  cuddle  that  child  to  death 
while  I  am  in  the  kitchen." 

99 


OUT   OF   A    CLEAR    SKY 

It  is  with  wings  of  great  gladness  that  I  fly  to 
good  Mamie  and  my  beautiful  little  human.  I 
find  that  his  mother  has  him  to  rest  in  her  arms, 
though  not  at  repast,  which  is  a  thing  forbid 
of  beloved  Granny  White. 

"Please,  child,  take  him  and  put  that  little 
flannel  gown  on  him  that  you  will  find  in  his 
Granny's  top  bureau  drawer.  It  is  getting 
colder  as  the  sun  goes  down.  I'm  so  glad  she 
finished  them  all  last  week,"  that  good  Mamie 
made  demand  of  me  as  she  made  a  motion  of 
surrender  of  that  fine  little  human  to  me. 

"Mon  Dieu,  Celeste,  is  it  that  you  have  had 
such  an  education  in  the  delicacies  of  touch  with 
the  foils  in  fencing  and  the  music  on  the  piano 
that  you  should  fear  to  make  warm  with  a  gar- 
ment a  so  small  little  boy?"  I  asked  of  myself 
while  I  did  receive  the  little  human  from  good, 
pretty  Mamie.  He  is  as  a  rose  which  wilts  to 
my  breast. 

"I  will  do  that,  sweet  Madame  Mamie,"  I 
made  reply  to  her  with  courage  of  voice  and 
face  but  fear  of  heart.  And  with  a  difficulty 
of  arms  and  hands  on  account  of  the  safety  of 
the  little  human,  I  made  the  discovery  of  the 
JQO 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

warm  garment  to  place  upon  him  and  did  seat 
myself  upon  the  low  chair  beside  the  warm 
fire. 

"Assist  me,  please,  good  God,"  I  made  a 
quick  prayer. 

And  then  of  a  sudden  I  find  that  I  know  what 
is  never  taught  to  me  by  a  lady  governess.  I 
can  lift  upon  my  one  hand  that  smallness  of  the 
little  human  and  insert  it  into  the  warm  gar- 
ment with  the  other,  without  murder  of  any 
kind.  I  discover  that  he  can  be  turned  upon 
his  front  for  fastenings  in  the  back  and  also  at 
the  reverse.  And  while  I  did  those  things,  I 
made  discovery  of  the  feet  of  my  little  human 
that  are  of  such  a  beauty  that  I  made  a  cry 
which  brought  both  beloved  Granny  White  and 
that  kind  Meester  Bob  into  the  room. 

"The  feet  of  my  little  human,  behold!"  I  ex- 
claimed as  I  regarded  the  two  of  them  with  a 
great  joy  of  a  kind  that  I  had  not  experienced 
before. 

"Yes,  as  big  feet  as  that  will  mean  a  big  man, 
Mamie,"  remarked  beloved  Granny  White  with 
a  surprising  indifference.  "They  are  nice  feet, 
rosebud,  but  cover  them  up  tight  or  we'll  have. 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

a  colic  rumpus,"  she  spoke  to  me  as  she  made  a 
return  to  the  region  of  the  cooking. 

"Is  it  not  that  they  are  beautiful,  Meester 
Bob?"  I  then  made  demand  of  him  with  a  wist- 
fulness  that  some  person  would  share  in  my 
joy  for  the  discovery  of  the  nice  feet  attached 
to  my  little  human. 

"You  are  a  beautiful  kiddie-girl  with  a  new 
doll,"  he  made  answer  to  me  with  a  very  great 
sweetness  of  sympathy  in  his  voice.  But  while 
he  spoke  thus  to  me  I  saw  a  deepness  of  trouble 
in  his  eyes  that  remained  there  while  we  are  at 
banquet  with  the  food  that  beloved  Granny  had 
prepared. 

And  when  all  is  eaten  and  the  light  of  the  sun 
is  about  to  be  entirely  gone  behind  the  hill  up 
that  Providence  Road,  we  all  did  repair  to  the 
room  of  good  Mamie  beside  her  bed,  while 
small  Bill  did  bring  to  beloved  Granny  White  a 
large  book  of  the  Bible  from  which  she  did 
read  to  us  with  a  great  slowness  about  the  dear 
Lord  that  did  lead  his  child  David  "beside  the 
still  waters"  and  "into  green  pastures."  That 
good  Mamie  has  the  little  human  upon  her 
breast  and  that  small  Bill  has  laid  his  head 

102 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

upon  the  shoulder  of  beloved  Granny  White 
while  she  is  reading  upon  the  page  spread  on 
her  knee ;  and  for  that  moment  I  am  alone,  but 
not  when  that  good,  kind  Meester  Bob  did  find 
my  hand  in  the  dark  that  came  upon  us  while 
beloved  Granny  asked  the  care  of  the  all  of  us 
during  the  darkness  of  the  night  from  our 
Father  in  heaven.  And  then  I  do  not  know 
how  it  happened,  but  it  did  rise  in  my  heart 
to  my  lips  that  I  sing  the  hymn  which  is  be- 
loved of  my  dear  Mees  Jane,  who  is  away  from 
me  in  sorrow  and  in  fear;  which  I  did  after 
the  "Amen"  of  beloved  Granny  White. 

"Lead,  kindly  light,  amid  th'  encircling  gloom, 
Lead  Thou  me  on;" 

I  sang  with  all  of  my  heart  in  my  voice  through 
to  the  so  beautiful  verse : 

"So  long  Thy  pow'r  hath  bless'd  me,  sure  it  still 

Will  lead  me  on 

O'er  moor  and  fen,  o'er  crag  and  torrent,  till 
The  night  is  gone." 

"God  bless  you  and  keep  you,  and  make  his 
sun  to  shine  upon  you,  child,"  then  said  the 
beloved  Granny  White  as  I  made  an  end  of  the 
103 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

hymn.  "Lift  Bill  on  the  bed,  Bob;  he's  col- 
lapsed with  sleep,"  she  added  as  she  rose  to 
light  a  candle  that  stood  on  the  mantel  over  the 
nice  fire. 

"Come  out  under  the  honeysuckles  for  a 
little  while  before  Granny  tucks  you  into  the 
cot  beside  her,  Lady  of  Honey,"  whispered  that 
kind  Meester  Bob  to  me,  and  I  thereupon  did 
follow  him  out  upon  the  porch  and  did  sit  down 
beside  him  under  the  great  sweetness  of  the 
vine,  through  which  is  the  moon  pouring  a  rich 
silver. 

"Is  it  about  that  love  which  'pipes'  that  you 
wish  to  instruct  me?"  I  make  demand  of  him. 
"I  know  that  word  love,  but  I  do  not  know 
'pipes'  except  in  conjunction  with  tobacco." 

"As  I  have  remarked  before,  you  are  a  kid," 
he  made  answer  to  me  with  but  very  little  smile, 
and  I  see  that  the  greatness  of  anxiety  is  then 
upon  him.  "But  I've  got  to  treat  you  as  a 
woman  and  a  plucky  one  at  that.  Granny 
White  brought  news  of  the  party  which  is 
hunting  for  you  and  which  Steve  has  failed  to 
get  away  over  Paradise  Ridge.  It  seems  that 
your  respected  uncle  with  foxlike  intuition  sus- 

104 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

pects  me  strongly  of  having  made  away  with 
you,  and  he  has  forced  Steve  to  return  down 
Providence  Road  to  the  place  where  they  first 
met  me,  near  Steve's  cottage,  to  begin  another 
search  there.  Steve  managed  to  tell  it  all  to 
Granny  while  helping  her  across  Little  Harpeth. 
He  is  leading  them  twenty  miles  out  of  the  way 
but — but  they  are  coming  back,  and  we  must 
be  prepared  to  meet  them." 

"Oh,  will  you  hide  me  with  quickness  again, 
good  Meester  Bob?"  I  cried  to  him  while  I  did 
crouch  against  the  great  strength  of  his  arm  and 
hold  to  it  tightly. 

"Yes,  I'm  going  to  hide  you,  child,  and  I'm 
going  to — to  keep  you — until — until  you  grow 
up  or  I  am  shown  a  just  cause  for  relinquishing 
you,"  that  Meester  Bob  made  answer  to  me  with 
very  great  and  strong  quietness.  ' '  But  I've  got 
to  leave  you,  dear,  and  that  is  what  I  am  going 
to  talk  to  you  about." 

"Oh  no,  good  Meester  Bob,  kind  Meester 
Bob,  it  is  not  possible  to  me  that  you  leave  me !" 
I  made  a  great  cry  to  him  and  did  cling  the  closer 
to  that  strong  arm  which  I  felt  to  tremble  as  I 
felt  my  own  body  to  do. 
105 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

"Yes,  dear,  I  must  go  and  assist  in  that  search, 
and  I  have  a  plan  that  I  think  will  send  them 
out  of  the  Harpeth  woods  forever,"  he  made 
answer  to  my  cry,  while  his  large  hand  did 
gather  in  the  both  of  my  cold  ones  that  had 
grown  so  warm  in  ministering  to  my  little  human 
in  the  security  of  happiness. 

"Tell  it  to  me;  but  it  is  not  possible  for  me 
that  I  permit  you  to  leave  me,"  I  made  answer  to 
him,  while  I  hid  my  tearful  eyes  in  his  sleeve. 

"I'm  going  to  cut  through  the  woods  to- 
night and  meet  them  in  the  morning  as  if  coming 
in  from  the  way  they  saw  me  go,  and  I  am  going 
to  lead  them  to  the  ruins  of  Steve's  house. 
Then  I  shall  have  the  pleasure  of  showing  them 
the  place  of  your  death." 

"Am  I  to  die?"  I  asked  in  a  greatness  of  be- 
wilderment at  his  strange  words. 

"No,  thank  God!"  he  then  did  exclaim,  and 
I  thought  for  one  little  minute  that  he  would 
take  me  into  his  embrace,  but  received  a  great 
disappointment. 

"I  am  going  to  let  them  find  the  scraps  of 
blue  silk  of  your  dress  and  the  wreck  of  a  small 
shoe  that  came  very  near  to  breaking  my  heart 

1 06 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

day  before  yesterday  while  I  waited  in  uncer- 
tainty for  Shep  to  come  back  from  her  search 
of  you."  And  this  time  my  good  Meester  Bob 
did  give  me  a  small  shake  by  my  shoulders 
that  was  of  the  nature  of  an  embrace. 

"Oh,  I  do  understand  now  that  my  very 
wicked  uncle  will  then  return  to  Belgium  to  the 
possession  of  all  of  Krymn  and  of  Berseck  and 
that  nice  Louis  Augustus  can  say  to  his  Em- 
peror that  it  is  impossible  that  he  marry  a 
great  Belgian  lady  who  is  in  many  pieces  with 
a  red  swine.  I  am  of  great  joy,"  I  made  re- 
sponse to  that  idea  which  that  Meester  Bob 
had  with  difficulty  placed  in  my  mind. 

' '  Listen  to  me,  Celeste — as  a  woman  and  not 
as  a  child,"  then  said  that  kind  Meester  Bob 
with  sternness  in  answer  to  my  cry  of  great  joy. 
"If  I  prove  to  that  old  scoundrel  that  you  are 
dead  then  it  will  be  well-nigh  impossible  to 
ever  prove  again  that  you  are  alive.  By  lead- 
ing him  to  that  ruined  cottage  with  a  half-dozen 
witnesses  I  put  Celeste,  the  Countess  de 
Krymn,  forever  out  of  her  world,  and  I  leave  a 
nameless  young  girl  down  in  Tennessee  to  be- 
gin life  over  with  only  a  few  simple  farmer  folk 
107 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

and  one  lone  man  as  her  friends.  All  over  this 
Harpeth  Valley  there  are  kind  farmers  like  these 
whose  roof  so  gladly  shelters  you,  and  there  are  a 
few  of  us  of  somewhat  higher  rank  in  the  world 
who  will  as  gladly  give  you  a  place  in  the  social 
life  of  our  little  towns,  which  have  a  rather 
haughty  aristocracy  of  their  own,  but  among 
us  there  is  not  the  excitement  and  luxury  of 
court  life,  and  my  home,  which  is  what  would 
be  called  one  of  the  great  estates  of  Tennessee, 
is  only  a  home  on  the  order  of  this,  much  larger, 
but  in  no  sense  a  palace.  Now  there  is  no  one 
to  advise  you  but  me,  and  I  must  do  it  con- 
scientiously or  be  a  cad.  If  it  meant  giving 
you  up  to  the  schemes  of  that  old  man  entirely  I 
would  keep  you — I'd  defy  him  to  get  you  from 
my  arms  since  God  Himself  had  thrown  you 
into  them  in  my  own  forest — but  if  I  ever  saw  a 
fine  man  and  a  great  gentleman  it  is  the  Prince 
Louis  Augustus.  I  am  able  to  judge  him  for 
his  worth  from  my  years  at  old  Heidelberg,  which 
brought  me  the  friendship  of  some  of  his  class, 
and  no  better  are  created.  Also  from  the  agony 
in  his  young  eyes  that  he  held  in  leash  with  the 
stoicism  of  a  soldier,  I  know  that  he  loves  you. 

108 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

If  you  will  take  him  for  your  husband  you  will 
have  a  great  destiny,  and  I  cannot  have  you 
throw  it  aside  lightly.  You  must  think,  and 
you  must  think  as  a  woman  thinks  for  her  own 
future  and,  as  you  have  said,  for  the  future  of 
your  children."  And  when  he  had  made  a 
pause  of  speaking  he  rose  to  his  feet,  did  that 
grand  Meester  Bob,  and  I  also  stood  as  tall  and 
as  stately  as  is  possible  to  me  beside  him. 

" Is  it  that  you  want  that  I  leave  you?"  I  then 
made  demand  of  him  in  the  voice  and  manner  of 
a  very  old  and  great  lady,  though  my  heart  is 
beating  with  a  loudness  in  my  breast  for  fear 
of  the  answer  he  might  make  to  me. 

"What  I  feel  in  the  matter  is  not  now  under 
discussion — must  not  be.  You  must  search 
your  heart  and  see  if  there  is  not  that  in  it  which 
will  allow  you  to  accept  the  future  the  prince 
offers  you.  I  am  going  to  leave  you  now  and 
ride  up  the  road  to  meet  Steve  and  his  party. 
You  must  think  and  make  your  decision  before 
we  pass  by  on  our  way  to  the  ruins.  If  you 
decide  for  the  prince,  come  out  and  surrender 
to  him;  if  not,  keep  in  hiding,  and  I  will  try 
and  take  them  by  without  a  search  of  the  house. 
8  109 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

You  can  trust  Granny  to  keep  them  at  bay  or 
to  hide  you.  But  think,  child,  think  before 
you  make  your  choice,  and  God  grant  it 
will  be  for  your  happiness  whichever  way  it  be !" 
And  it  was  only  at  the  finish  of  speaking  that 
that  kind  Meester  Bob  did  lay  his  lips  upon  my 
two  hands  that  I  had  allowed  that  he  take  into 
his. 

"Very  good,  Monsieur  Robert  of  Lawrence, 
you  have  a  right  to  command  Celeste  that  she  so 
consider  with  a  great  justice  to  herself  and  that 
Prince  Louis  Augustus.  I  do  as  you  bid  me," 
I  made  answer  to  him;  and  I  felt  that  I  am 
very  white  and  cold  while  I  question  myself 
in  my  heart  is  it  that  kind  Meester  Bob  does  not 
want  a  poor  Belgian  girl  in  his  nice  life  in  the 
Harpeth  Valley? 

"That's  a  brave,  good  woman,  Celeste,"  an- 
swered that  Meester  Bob  in  great  quietness- 
"Now  I  must  be  off  so  as  to  be  sure  and  meet 
the  party  at  the  fork  of  the  road  over  by  Hill- 
crest.  We  can't  possibly  get  back  here  before 
noon  to-morrow,  so  will  you  promise  to  sleep, 
my  Lady  of  Honey,  and  not — not  weep?"  And 
while  he  is  speaking  I  am  walking  to  the  gate 

no 


OUT   OF   A    CLEAR    SKY 

with  that  kind  Meester  Bob,  by  which  is  stand- 
ing the  nice  Goodboy  horse  with  no  blanket 
for  a  rocking-chair  on  his  broad  back  for  Celeste. 
And  I  cannot  say  that  I  will  not  weep,  for  I  am 
in  that  act  at  that  moment,  but  I  lay  my  hand 
into  his,  as  he  is  preparing  to  mount  upon 
Goodboy  horse  with  that  Shep  dog  running 
beside. 

"Come  back  to  me,"  I  did  entreat  him  in  the 
smallness  of  a  whisper. 

"Oh,  little,  little  girl,"  he  made  answer  to 
me,  while  for  one  very  short  moment  his  cheek 
is  against  my  hair  and  my  hand  is  pressed  with 
a  closeness  against  his  heart,  which  did  make 
gallops  as  hard  as  those  of  the  Goodboy  horse 
in  going  up  the  Providence  Road  from  me. 

And  then  with  tears  in  the  deepness  of  my 
eyes  and  my  heart,  I  returned  back  into  that 
house  of  that  beloved  Granny  White  to  ponder 
on  my  marriage  with  that  poor,  nice  Prince 
Louis  Augustus,  which  that  kind  Meester  Bob 
thinks  is  the  duty  of  me  to  my  children  in  a 
large  future. 


VIII 

IN  QUEST  OF  A  PIE  GIRL 

AND  within  the  house  of  beloved  Granny 
White  all  is  ready  now  for  the  peace  and 
sleep  of  a  long  night.  Upon  the  whiteness  of 
her  curls  she  has  put  a  large  cap  with  wide 
ruffles,  while  in  the  room  of  that  good  Mamie 
all  is  darkness  except  for  the  silver  of  the  moon. 
In  her  hand  that  beloved  Granny  has  a  candle 
and  in  her  other  hand  is  also  a  very  large 
bunch  of  keys,  while  upon  her  shoulders  she 
wears  a  small  gray  shawl. 

"I'm  just  going  out  to  the  hen-house  to  see  if 
old  Red  and  old  Dominicker  are  setting  faith- 
fully on  the  eggs  I  put  under  them  yesterday. 
Hens,  even  the  best  of  them,  are  like  women 
about  cutting  their  minds  on  the  bias.  Do  you 
want  to  come  with  me  and  hold  the  candle, 
child?" 

112 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

"With  a  great  happiness  I  will  go  with  you, 
beloved  Madame  White,"  I  returned  instant 
answer  to  her,  while  making  a  quick  swallow 
of  the  tears  rising  from  my  throat  to  my  eyes. 

"You  don't  mean  that  you  don't  love  your 
Granny  when  you  call  her  Madame  White,  do 
you,  rosebud?  That  is  just  a  pretty  frill  of 
manners  you  are  handing  me  as  a  compliment, 
isn't  it  ?"  my  beloved,  aged  friend  asked  of  me, 
with  a  beautiful  laugh  that  shook  her  largeness 
exceedingly. 

"Oh,  it  is  a  great  love  that  has  come  into  my 
heart  for  you,  kind  Granny !  I  would  that  for 
my  life  I  might  rest  always  in  your  house  with 
you,"  I  made  a  quick  answer  to  her  as  we  did 
go  forth  in  the  light  of  the  moon  to  a  small  house 
from  which  is  heard  some  duckings  as  of 
chickens. 

"Well,  it  wouldn't  surprise  me  if  we  were 
neighbors  before  these  hatches  have  well 
feathered,  child.  Some  courting  gets  pin- 
feathers  over  night.  Now  that  Bob  Lawrence 
is —  Tut,  tut,  old  Red,  you've  cracked  one  of 
your  eggs  with  that  scaly  old  foot  of  yours. 
Move  and  let  me  take  it  out  before  it  breaks 
"3 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

and  spoils  your  nest. ' '  And  my  beloved  Granny 
White  interrupted  her  speaking  of  kind  Meester 
Bob,  in  words  which  I  did  not  entirely  compre- 
hend but  very  much  liked,  to  address  the  per- 
turbed red  chicken. 

"What  is  that  'pin-feathers'  and  'courting,' 
please,  kind  Granny  White?"  I  asked  of  her, 
but  she  made  to  me  only  a  hen  reply: 

"You'll  have  to  hold  old  Red,  child,  while  I 
get  out  this  egg  without  a  muss  of  breaking 
it,"  she  directed  me,  and  thereupon  did  hand 
to  me  the  large  and  very  cross  chicken. 

"Remember,  Celeste,  you  have  been  in- 
structed that  you  hold  tightly  a  bridle  of  a 
restive  horse  with  grace,"  I  advised  to  myself 
to  still  a  greatness  of  fear  as  I  received  the 
chicken  into  my  arms.  "I  shall  bestow  upon 
my  children  an  education  of  not  so  much  em- 
broidery," I  also  made  the  resolution  to  myself 
in  a  low  breath  while  I  did  hold  fast  the  hen 
chicken  in  a  close  embrace.  Also  I  made  nice 
motions  of  soothing  upon  its  very  energetic  head 
which  was  ended  by  a  beak  of  great  sharpness. 

"Bob  Lawrence  is  no  earthly  good  with  chick- 
ens or  I  would  have  made  him  help  me  settle 

114 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

these  biddies  before  he  left.  It  takes  a  very 
soothing  hand  to  prevent  squawks  of  chickens 
as  well  as  of  life,  and  I  see  that  you  have  got  it, 
child.  Mamie  could  not  have  held  old  Red 
quiet  like  that  for  me.  Now  give  her  here." 
And  as  she  commanded  I  placed  that  chicken 
into  the  arms  of  my  beloved  Granny  White 
with  a  greatness  of  pride,  also  of  relief. 

"Is  it  that  kind  Meester  Bob  has  not  many 
chickens  in  his  home?"  I  asked  of  that  Granny 
White  as  she  is  making  a  last  settlement  of 
that  Madame  Red  chicken  and  that  Madame 
Gray  whom  I  now  know  to  call  Madame 
Dominicker. 

"Child,  that  great  big  house  of  Bob  Law- 
rence's over  at  Hillcrest  is  the  most  empty  place 
in  this  whole  world,  though  full  of  more  fine 
mahogany  furniture  and  old  family  painted 
likenesses  than  you  can  shake  a  stick  at.  There 
is  not  a  hen  in  the  yard,  not  a  flower  in  the 
garden,  not  a  pickle  or  a  preserve  in  the  closet, 
not  a  pie  on  the  pantry  shelf,  and  all  on  account 
of  the  absence  of  a  woman.  If  some  nice 
housekeeping  girl  don't  marry  him  soon,  I'll 
have  to  adopt  him  and  move  him  over  here. 


OUT   OF   A    CLEAR    SKY 

As  it  is,  I  have  to  feed  him  and  mend  him 
and  doctor  him  at  long  distance,  and  I'm  about 
ready  for  his  wife.  Besides,  I  don't  want  him 
to  travel  to  foreign  parts  any  more.  I  want 
him  to  begin  to  walk  babies  of  nights." 

"Oh,  beloved  Granny  White!  Is  it  that  you 
seek  a  nice  wife  for  that  kind  Meester  Bob?" 
I  made  demand  of  her  with  very  little  breath 
in  my  throat.  "In  my  country  I  think  it  is 
so  arranged  that  it  is  possible  that — 

"Shoo,  shoo,  Dommie!  Hold  the  candle  a 
little  closer  for  another  minute,  child,"  again 
that  Granny  White  made  an  interruption  to  the 
greatness  of  my  anxiety  for  learning  about  the 
life  of  that  Monsieur  Robert  of  Lawrence  and 
the  betrothing  of  him  also.  And  as  I  held  the 
candle  for  the  administration  of  more  straw 
under  the  Madame  Gray  chicken  I  understood 
that  it  was  not  a  time  for  questions.  And  also 
it  did  arrive  in  my  heart  the  meaning  of  those 
words  "nice  housekeeping  girl,"  which  I  am  not. 

"Celeste,  it  is  possible  for  you  to  make  a 
fine  bow  at  court  and  to  dance  and  to  sing  for 
maybe  that  poor  Louis  Augustus,  but  you  do 
not  know  well  about  a  'pie  on  the  pantry  shelf/ 

116 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

alas!"  I  say  to  myself  with  a  great  sadness  as  I 
follow  beloved  Granny  White  back  into  her  so 
.comfortable  home. 

And  in  a  nice  little  room  with  a  beautiful 
largeness  of  roses  on  the  wall,  beloved  Granny 
White  did  place  me  in  bed.  There  is  a  wide 
door  into  the  room  of  pretty,  good  Mamie  and 
when  I  am  attired  in  the  great  largeness  of  one 
of  the  robes  of  night  of  beloved  Granny  White, 
I  did  creep  in  to  view  my  little  human  at  sleep. 
And  also  I  find  that  small  Bill  at  sleep  in  a  cot 
beside  good  Mamie  mother.  I  feel  as  a  little 
child  also  after  beloved  Granny  White  has 
placed  me  on  my  pillow  with  many  tuckings 
of  the  blanket  around  me  and  has  given  me  a 
kiss  with  another  little  prayer  thereto. 

"Good  night!  God  bless  you  and  keep  you, 
child!" 

But  sleep  did  not  come  to  the  weariness  of 
my  eyes  while  I  am  so  safe  in  that  white  small 
bed  beside  good  Mamie  and  beloved  Granny 
White,  also  the  little  human  and  that  small  Bill. 
My  kind  Meester  Bob  had  commanded  me  that 
I  ponder  upon  that  poor,  nice  Louis  Augustus 
that  I  may  decide  to  be  a  wife  to  him.  And 
117 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

in  my  sad  heart  I  then  felt  it  to  be  for  the  right 
in  the  future.  My  kind  Mees  Jane  Forsythe 
and  my  beautiful  mother,  dead  in  Devonshire, 
did  think  upon  the  dishonor  that  the  great 
Emperor  should  purchase  me  from  that  very 
wicked  uncle  Dyreck,  but  it  is  not  in  the  vow 
that  I  must  not  come  forth  and  say  that  I  will 
take  nice,  kind  Louis  Augustus  for  a  husband 
from  my  own  will.  I  cannot  feel  that  to  be  a 
wrong,  though  there  is  not  enough  strength  in 
my  brain  to  make  it  clear  to  myself.  My 
Meester  Bob  has  said  it  will  be  of  greatness  for 
my  future,  and  I  must  believe  that  it  will. 

"It  is  that  kind  and  beautiful,  strong  Meester 
Robert  of  Lawrence  must  have  a  good  pie  and 
chicken  and  pickle  wife,  Celeste,"  I  did  say  to 
myself  in  the  beginning  of  my  weeping.  "It 
is  not  a  matter  that  poor  Louis  Augustus  will 
have  an  embroidery  wife,  but  it  must  not  be  so 
with  that  Meester  Bob.  And  it  is  best  that  you 
go  forth  with  poor,  nice  Louis  Augustus  with 
your  un worthiness  so  that  Meester  Bob  may 
not  destroy  time  in  protection  of  you  which 
might  be  consumed  in  a  search  for  that  pie 
girl." 

118 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

And  when  I  had  made  all  that  good  reason 
with  myself  and  a  firm  decision  that  I  will  go 
with  that  poor  Louis  Augustus,  I  decided  that 
I  could  now  indulge  myself  in  weeping  for  a 
reward  for  my  very  great  wisdom.  And  I  did 
that  thing. 

How  long  it  is  that  I  am  weeping  I  did  not 
know,  for  tears  wash  away  many  moments  in 
the  time  of  a  woman,  but  the  moon  was  still  of 
the  brightness  of  silver  when  I  looked  forth 
from  my  tears  to  see  who  it  is  that  is  beside 
me  and  did  behold  my  small  Bill  in  his  very 
little  robe  of  night  with  also  feet  bare  upon 
the  floor  as  they  had  been  upon  our  carpet  of 
leaves  in  the  forest. 

"Did  you  eat  too  much  supper,  girl?  Have 
you  got  a  pain?"  he  made  demand  of  me,  with 
a  beautiful  sympathy  in  the  sleepiness  of  his 
eyes  of  blue  heaven  while  one  lock  from  his 
yellow  head  stood  very  much  rampant. 

"The  pain  is  of  my  heart  and  not  of  my  di- 
gestion, dear  small  Bill,"  I  made  answer  to  him 
with  more  weeping. 

"Want  me  to  ask  Granny  for  the  camphor 
to  rub  it?"  he  again  demanded  of  me  as  his  small 
119 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

hand  was  laid  upon  my  head  with  a  great  gentle- 
ness. 

"I  will  not  weep  further,  small  Bill,  to  dis- 
turb you  in  sleeping.  Return  to  your  nice  bed," 
I  made  promise  to  him. 

"I'll  get  in  here  with  you  so  that  you  can 
hold  my  hand  if  it  hurts  any  more,"  he  made 
answer  to  me,  and  did  thereupon  creep  within 
my  blanket,  and  hold  fast  to  my  hand  while 
falling  into  sleep  with  a  great  quickness. 

And  I  think  that  sleep  must  be  of  a  great 
contagion,  for  almost  in  the  same  number  of 
moments  I  also  know  nothing  more,  there  in  the 
kind  care  of  that  small  Bill.  Then  it  is  morning 
and  I  hear  my  beloved  Granny  White  calling 
out  a  nice  breakfast  to  the  good  chickens. 
Small  Bill  I  discover  to  be  gone  from  beside  me 
and  a  nice  aroma  of  pone  bread  is  coming  from 
the  room  of  the  kitchen. 

And  immediately  I  am  upon  my  feet  and 
clothing  myself  in  that  dress  of  homespun  which 
is  now  a  gift  from  good  Mamie  to  me. 

In  the  night,  while  I  had  wept  with  so  great 
a  grief,  I  had  thought  that  this  day  would  be 
one  of  terror  and  unhappiness  to  me,  but  behold ! 

120 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

when  it  is  arrived  I  am  living  it  with  a  greatness 
of  interest. 

Good,  pretty  Mamie  had  allowed  that  I  did 
make  the  toilet  of  my  very  little  human  imme- 
diately upon  the  finish  of  the  toilet  I  had  given 
to  the  dishes  for  our  breakfast  of  a  very  great 
deliciousness,  at  the  direction  of  my  beloved 
Granny  White,  who  must  then  go  to  overlook 
the  work  of  three  large  black  men  in  a  field 
not  far  distant.  And  I  announce  that  it  is 
impossible  that  any  woman,  even  only  one  of 
embroideries,  should  grieve  or  have  terrors 
while  in  the  danger  of  soap  upon  a  very- 
young  human.  All  must  be  at  loving  atten- 
tion. I  had  the  very  greatness  of  joy  after 
a  finish  with  nice  powder  to  my  little  human 
before  his  insertion  into  clean  garments,  and 
it  was  with  a  great  thankfulness  that  I  re- 
turned him  to  his  mother  for  repast  with  only 
a  very  few  small  cries  in  the  operation  of  the 
bath. 

"Thank  you,  child!  You  have  a  fine  hand 
with  babies,"  that  kind  Mamie  made  acknowl- 
edgment to  me  with  a  very  pretty  smile. 

"It  is  also  the  same  kind  hand  with  chickens 
121 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

as  beloved  Granny  White  told  me  last  evening," 
I  made  response  with  a  very  vain  pride. 

"You  are  a  perfectly  beautiful  darling,"  re- 
turned that  good  Mamie  to  me,  with  a  laugh 
and  a  compliment. 

"But  I  am  not  for  pie,"  I  responded  to  the 
confusion  of  mind  of  good  Mamie;  and  must 
then  run  to  bring  a  little  water  for  small  Bill 
to  mix  into  bread  to  feed  to  the  chickens  of 
Granny  White  while  she  is  not  thereby  to  at- 
tend upon  their  repast. 

"Celeste  de  Krymn,"  I  then  said  to  myself 
in  my  heart,  "this  day  you  are  one  fine  house- 
keeping girl  in  Tennessee  before  you  must  be  a 
great  lady  of  Belgium  and  Germany  to-morrow. 
When  long  years  follow  themselves,  you  can 
keep  in  your  heart  the  greatness  of  joy  that  was 
yours  in  the  house  of  beloved  Granny  White 
on  Providence  Road,  and  perhaps  when  you 
come  to  death  it  will  be  granted  to  you  to  stop 
in  this  house  again  for  a  visit  on  the  road  to 
heaven.  Do  all  the  nice  work  for  these  good 
friends  that  you  can  find  for  your  hands.  No, 
do  not  weep!"  And  immediately  I  did  go 
forth  with  small  Bill  to  collect  many  eggs  in  a 

122 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

large  basket,  also  to  administer  warm  milk  to 
two  little  cows  of  a  so  great  youngness  that  it  is 
difficult  for  them  to  manage  with  great  grace 
their  long  legs. 

And  then  it  falls  upon  that  small  Bill  and 
upon  me  that  we  must  endeavor  to  make  but- 
ter from  a  large  quantity  of  milk  of  a  great 
solidness  which  beloved  Granny  did  pour  into 
a  tall  vessel  and  upon  which  first  small  Bill  and 
then  Celeste  de  Krymn  must  pound  up  and 
down  with  a  broad  and  circular  stick.  I  had 
not  before  known  that  good  butter,  which  I 
like  very  much,  arrives  with  such  difficulty  to 
the  breath  of  the  person  who  produces  it. 
Very  soon  I  am  in  exhaustion,  though  that 
small  Bill  is  able  to  pound  up  and  down  much 
longer  until,  behold,  a  great  yellowness  is  ac- 
complished for  the  delight  of  beloved  Granny 
White. 

"You're  a  girl,"  that  small  Bill  made  answer 
to  the  apologies  that  I  offered  to  him  for  the 
absence  of  my  breath  in  that  pounding.  "Girls' 
arms  are  soft  and  not  much  good." 

I  found  a  small  laugh  in  my  throat  at  a  re- 
membrance of  the  times  I  have  pricked  with 
123 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

my  foil  twice  the  breast  of  that  nice  young  Sir 
Arthur  Cheetwood  in  Devonshire,  whose  wrists 
are  said  to  be  of  steel,  but  I  only  returned  with 
a  great  meekness  this  remark  to  small  Bill: 

' '  Please  excuse  me !" 

"Do  you  want  to  help  me  pick  the  beans  for 
dinner?"  very  soon  demanded  that  small  Bill 
of  me,  with  a  large  basket  in  his  hand,  though  I 
had  made  preparations  to  seat  myself  for  a 
short  time  beside  sweet  Mamie  for  admiration 
of  my  little  human. 

"I  come!"  I  made  answer  to  his  demand, 
and  followed  into  the  garden  immediately,  hav- 
ing put  upon  my  head  a  wide,  deep  bonnet  for 
protection  from  the  sun. 

And  it  was  a  very  long  time  that  both  small 
Bill  and  Celeste  made  progress  down  a  long 
trench,  with  a  snapping  of  green  vegetables 
from  hard  stems.  I  felt  myself  to  have  a 
nearness  of  exhaustion,  and  once  more  I  was 
in  fear  that  I  must  make  apologies  to  that  small 
Bill  when  of  a  suddenness  he  stopped  and  began 
to  listen  into  the  air. 

"I  hear  horses  coming  down  Providence 
Road.  I  bet  it  is  my  dad  and  Mister  Bob. 
124 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

You  go  on  picking  the  beans  while  I  go  see," 
he  directed  me  as  he  ran  with  a  great  swiftness 
in  the  direction  of  the  large  gate. 

And  as  I  am  thus  deserted  by  small  Bill, 
suddenly  a  greatness  of  fear  came  down  upon 
me  that  is  more  terrible  than  any  I  had  yet 
had,  not  excepting  of  those  mines  under  the 
large  ship  in  the  ocean  or  when  I  find  myself 
thrown  from  the  train  away  from  my  dear 
Mees  Jane  Forsythe. 

"Do  not  fear.  No  harm  can  come  to  you 
when  you  present  yourself  to  that  nice  Louis 
Augustus  to  go  forth  with  him,"  I  counseled 
myself  as  I  made  a  seat  upon  some  of  the  green 
vines  with  a  great  suddenness. 

For  many  long  minutes  I  sat  there  upon  the 
ground  of  the  garden  of  my  beloved  Granny 
White  and  did  tremble  and  weep  while  I  heard 
approach  nearer  and  nearer  my  destiny  from 
across  the  broad  ocean  beyond  the  lady  of 
liberty.  How  was  I  to  find  strength  of  a  suf- 
ficiency to  go  to  meet  it? 

Then  as  I  looked  forth  from  the  deep  sun- 
bonnet  I  saw  the  horsemen  draw  rein  at  the 
white  gate  with  its  vine  of  such  a  great  sweet- 
s' 125 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

ness  and  my  wicked  uncle  Dyreck  is  the  fore- 
most, though  it  was  with  a  great  stiffness  that 
he  is  assisted  upon  the  ground  by  that  Lieu- 
tenant Franz  Van  Reet,  who  had  also  been  of 
a  great  kindness  to  me  upon  the  large  ship 
when  it  is  impossible  that  my  Mees  Jane 
Forsythe  can  stand  upon  the  deck.  And  that 
same  heart  in  the  breast  of  Celeste  de  Krymn, 
which  had  been  of  such  a  softness  under  the 
small  head  of  my  little  human  not  one  short 
hour  ago,  is  as  hard  as  cold  ice. 

"Count  de  Berseck  and  Krymn  shall  render 
me  return  one  day  for  this  time  that  he  has 
hunted  me  like  unto  a  wild  animal.  I  shall 
call  upon  that  great  Emperor  for  his  punish- 
ment," I  did  say  to  myself,  and  I  thereupon 
arose  as  tall  and  as  straight  as  is  possible  to 
me  and  did  walk  with  dignity  through  the 
garden  of  beloved  Granny  White  and  on  to  the 
back  porch  of  the  kitchen,  the  large  basket 
with  the  beans  within  my  hand. 


IX 

I    HEAR    MY    DEATH-WARRANT 

AJD  as  I  went  past  the  large  white  barn 
I  remarked  that  my  land  Meester  Bob 
is  riding  beside  that  poor,  nice  Louis  Augustus 
in  a  very  great  deepness  of  conversation,  which 
was  as  if  he  comforted  him  for  some  great  sor- 
row for  which  the  prince  did  weep,  as  is  the 
privileged  custom  for  men  in  Germany.  I  am 
not  of  a  very  great  curiosity  about  the  reason 
for  this  grief,  for  I  had  assisted  at  the  plans  of 
its  source.  A  tragedy  has  occurred  which  is 
making  a  very  greatness  of  excitement.  In  my 
dress  of  a  peasant,  in  my  deep  sunbonnet  and 
with  my  basket  of  those  beans  in  my  hand,  I 
came  and  stood  very  still  by  the  door  of  the  front 
room  for  living  of  my  beloved  Granny  White. 

Before  the  chimney  of  rude  stone  is  standing 
my    uncle    Dyreck,   Count   de   Berseck   and 
127 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

Krymn,  with  his  two  gentlemen  and  that 
Lieutenant  Van  Reet,  while  opposite  to  him  is 
my  beloved  Granny  White  so  placed  that  she 
can  look  into  my  face,  though  he  cannot.  And 
in  the  arms  of  that  very  large  and  beloved 
Granny  White,  against  the  white  and  fragrant 
kerchief,  is  my  small  human  in  deep  repose 
within  his  blanket. 

"Good  woman,"  is  saying  my  august  and  con- 
temptible relative,  in  the  manner  of  a  greatness 
of  superiority  that  he  does  use  to  the  servants  of 
Krymnwolde  to  their  very  great  hatred  of  him, 
"place  out  a  table  that  my  secretary  may  make 
out  an  affidavit  of  the  death  of  my  niece  in  these 
damnable  American  forests  for  the  signing  of 
witnesses  at  the  discovery." 

"Here,  daughter,  take  your  child  into  the  sun- 
shine to  sleep,"  then  said  that  beloved  Granny 
White  as  she  did  quickly  cross  to  me  and  lay  the 
little  human  in  my  arms,  from  which  I  then 
dropped  the  basket  so  that  the  nice  green  beans 
rolled  to  the  exact  feet  of  my  enraged  uncle. 
"Sit  down  there  in  full  sight,  but  keep  on  that 
sunbonnet,"  she  commanded  me  from  under 
her  breath. 

128 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

" Stupid  pigs  of  American  slowness!"  then  re- 
marked my  uncle  Dyreck  in  an  extreme  of  rage. 
"Write  there  at  that  table,  Van  Gwan !"  he  com- 
manded his  secretary,  who  is  of  an  extreme  meek- 
ness. 

"You  are  welcome,  stranger,  to  the  hospital- 
ity of  my  house,  which  you  use  as  if  only  accus- 
tomed to  that  of  the  pigs  that  you  name  with 
the  freedom  of  a  brother  in  blood,"  remarked 
that  beloved  Granny  White,  with  a  smile  upon 
my  enraged  relative  that  is  of  a  great  sweetness. 

"Hold  your  tongue,  woman,"  he  made  an- 
swer to  her  with  a  great  roughness,  "or  I'll  see 
to  it  that—" 

"What  was  it  you  were  saying,  Count  de 
Berseck  and  Krymn?"  then  came  a  nice  ques- 
tion in  the  kind  voice  of  my  Meester  Bob,  who 
stood  upon  the  threshold  of  the  door  with  the 
murder  of  a  man  in  his  beautiful  eyes. 

With  the  little  human  tight  to  my  breast,  I 
rose  to  my  feet. 

"I  am  having  prepared  an  affidavit  of  the 

death  of  my  niece,  to  which  I  ask  your  signature, 

Monsieur  de  Lawrence,"  then  made  reply  my 

uncle  Dyreck  with  a  manner  of  as  great  polite- 

129 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

ness  to  kind  Meester  Bob  as  was  his  of  rudeness 
to  my  beloved  Granny  White  in  this  her  own 
house. 

And  as  he  did  make  that  reply  to  kind  Meester 
Bob,  who  has  not  the  appearance  of  extreme 
kindness  at  that  moment,  that  nice,  poor  Louis 
Augustus  arrived  at  the  side  of  Meester  Bob  in 
the  doorway,  and  I  am  desolated  to  see  what 
sorrow  is  in  his  face  for  the  death  of  me. 

And  as  I  regarded  him  I  saw  that  my  Meester 
Bob  is  looking  into  my  face  with  eyes  which  ask 
of  me  a  great  question,  whether  I  will  come  forth 
from  that  sunbonnet  and  make  myself  known 
to  kind  Louis  Augustus  and  to  unkind  Uncle 
Dyreck. 

For  a  very  long  moment  I  stand  within  the 
eyes  of  my  kind  Meester  Bob,  not  very  far  away 
from  that  loving  and  grieved  young  prince  and 
so  close  to  the  arm  of  that  wicked  uncle  that  it  is 
possible  for  him  to  slay  me  with  a  blow  did  he 
wish — and  in  my  heart  I  made  the  great  de- 
cision for  my  life. 

"What  do  you  do?"  those  eyes  of  my  kind 
Meester  Bob  pleaded  into  mine,  while  a  strong- 
ness  is  set  upon  his  mouth  and  it  has  no  smile. 

130 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

"I  stay,"  is  the  answer  I  give  with  my  eyes 
to  his. 

And  then  with  a  greatness  of  calm  I  did  seat 
myself  upon  the  chair  by  the  door,  turn  upon 
my  knee,  with  a  greatness  of  skill  that  in  itself 
is  a  fine  disguise  for  me,  the  little  human  and 
begin  to  take  the  husk  from  the  large  beans 
that  are  left  in  the  basket,  while  I  did  listen 
to  the  death  of  myself  which  that  secretary  of 
great  meekness  did  read  from  the  paper  which 
he  had  written  upon  the  table  of  beloved 
Granny  White. 

A  long  mention  is  made  of  the  way  I  have  been 
thrown  from  that  train  by  my  kind  Mees  Jane, 
who  is  declared  to  be  of  a  great  insanity,  and 
have  wandered  into  a  peasant's  hut  upon  which 
lightning  is  descended  with  dynamite  and  has 
made  me  into  such  small  pieces  that  all  of  me  is 
consumed  by  fire  except  four  small  sections  of 
my  blue  dress  of  silk  and  one  small  shoe  with  a 
silver  buckle  thereupon. 

When  that  secretary  did  read  about  the  blue- 
ness  of  my  dress  being  found,  I  saw  that  the  hand 
of  poor,  nice  Louis  Augustus  did  go  to  the  pocket 
in  his  coat  that  is  over  his  heart ;  and  also  that 
131 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

the  hand  of  my  Meester  Bob  did  seek  the  pocket 
of  his  hunting-coat  from  where  he  had  shown 
me  the  piece  of  my  shoe  from  which  that  good 
Shep  dog  had  been  given  scent  by  him  to  find 
me  lost  with  that  small  Bill  in  the  forest.  I 
had  a  great  hurt  that  the  two  honest  gentlemen 
should  thus  cherish  the  remains  of  me,  but 
what  was  it  that  I  could  do  but  hold  my  little 
human  tight  in  my  arms  with  a  slow  rocking 
and  not  look  at  all  at  the  eyes  of  my  Meester 
Bob? 

"And  now,  gentlemen,  I  will  ask  you  to  sign 
this,"  said  my  uncle  Dyreck  when  the  paper 
had  made  a  final  death  finish  of  me  nicely  and 
to  his  great  satisfaction.  "Prince,  will  you  sign 
first?"  And  he  handed  the  gold  pen  from  his 
pocket  to  that  poor,  nice  Louis  Augustus. 

"It  is  for  the  death  of  the  most  lovely  and 
beautiful  lady  in  all  of  Europe  that  I  must 
mourn,  Count  de  Berseck,"  said  that  nice  Louis 
Augustus  after  he  had  made  his  signature  to  the 
paper. 

And  as  he  thus  did  speak  of  me  with  a  great- 
ness of  sorrow,  I  felt  that  the  eyes  of  my  kind 
Meester  Bob  were  again  upon  me  in  a  question 
132 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

of  what  will  I  do;  but  I  did  make  a  great  rock- 
ing of  the  little  human  and  stayed  deep  within 
the  white  sunbonnet. 

"Will  you  also  sign  it,  dear  Madame?"  nice 
Prince  Louis  Augustus  asked  of  my  beloved 
Granny  White  with  as  much  beauty  of  manner 
as  he  has  ever  given  to  me.  For  that  I  did  love 
him. 

"Well,"  beloved  Granny  White  returned  an- 
swer to  him  as  she  stood  over  beside  Meester 
Bob  in  the  doorway,  "the  dress  and  the  shoes 
and  Steve's  and  Mamie's  house  are  dead,  that's 
certain,  and  I'm  going  to  sign  for  seeing  them 
in  that  condition,"  with  which  words,  that  are 
for  the  purpose  to  prevent  that  she  should 
make  a  lie,  that  beloved  Granny  White  did  also 
sign  the  paper. 

"Thank  you,  Granny,  for  the  adjustment  of 
your  conscience,"  then  made  reply  to  her  that 
land  Meester  Bob,  while  he  did  make  a  long 
pause  and  look  at  me  in  that  white  sunbonnet 
with  a  great  hardness  before  he  made  his  signa- 
ture also  to  my  death. 

After  that  good  Steve  is  summoned  from 
where  he  is  making  a  promise  of  a  new  house  to 
133 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

sweet  Mamie,  and  he  is  the  last  witness  to  my 
death  upon  the  paper  which  makes  it  legal  that 
Celeste  de  Krymn  is  no  more  in  the  world. 

"It  is  imperative  that  we  depart  immediately, 
as  it  is  many  miles  to  the  station.  Gentlemen, 
your  horses!"  then  said  my  wicked  uncle  with  a 
great  hurry  upon  him.  He  is  in  a  very  good 
happiness  now  that  all  of  Berseck  and  of  Krymn 
are  in  his  possession,  and  a  smile  of  delight  is 
behind  his  mouth  that  I  am  sold  to  death,  if  it 
could  not  be  to  Germany.  "Here  is  a  piece  of 
money,  good  woman,"  he  added  also  as  he 
tossed  upon  the  table  a  round  piece  of  silver. 

"No,  thank  you,  mister,"  made  reply  to  him 
that  delicious  Granny  White,  "you  are  the  only 
man  who  ever  left  the  house  of  Mary  White 
unfed  at  the  noon  hour,  and  I  haven't  got  any 
use  for  your  money  just  now.  Here  it  is!" 
And  she  did  make  a  return  of  the  piece  of  silver, 
while  my  good  Meester  Bob  stood  close  by  to 
see  what  it  is  that  my  wicked  uncle  might  say 
to  that  beloved  woman.  And  he  made  no  re- 
mark at  all,  but  did  turn  on  his  heel  and  go 
from  the  room,  with  kind  Meester  Bob  beside 
him,  making  a  request  of  great  politeness  that 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

he  should  go  to  the  railroad  with  them,  because 
of  not  any  more  confidence  in  that  good  Steve 
who  has  not  made  them  to  find  me  before  my 
death.  There  also  followed  the  meek  secretary 
and  the  gentlemen  of  the  prince,  so  that  only 
nice  Louis  Augustus  remained  in  the  room  with 
beloved  Granny  White,  with  my  little  human 
and  me  in  the  low  chair  by  the  door. 

"Madame,  will  you  do  for  me  a  so  great 
favor?"  he  made  demand  of  her  with  a  very 
great  and  beautiful  gentleness.  "Will  you 
purchase  for  me  a  beautiful  flower  and  make  it  to 
bloom  in  the  garden  near  to  that  small  cottage 
home  of  your  daughter  when  it  is  again  erected  ?" 
And  in  his  hand  he  held  out  to  beloved  Granny 
White  a  large  piece  of  gold. 

For  one  long  moment  I  see  that  it  is  of  a  great 
hardness  for  beloved  Granny  White  to  find  some 
words  to  say. 

"I'll  take  your  gold,  my  son,  and  make  it 
bring  heart-ease  to  folks  in  want  all  over  this 
Harpeth  Valley  in  remembrance  of  the  love  in 
which  it  was  given.  God  bless  and  keep  you," 
she  finally  made  answer  to  him  as  he  bent  with 
a  great  stateliness  and  kissed  her  hand,  then 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

was  gone  from  the  door  with  rapidity  and  upon 
his  horse  which  his  gentleman  held  beside  that 
of  kind  Meester  Bob.  And  for  a  long  minute 
that  beloved  Granny  White  did  stand  and  re- 
gard her  very  large  hand,  that  is  so  much 
marked  with  work,  with  a  very  funny  expression 
of  face. 

"Well,  it  took  a  Dutch  prince  to  kiss  your 
hand  at  the  age  of  sixty-five,  Mary  White,"  she 
finally  said  with  a  smile  of  great  sweetness  in 
her  beautiful  blue  and  aged  eyes.  "Also,  he 
is  God's  own  good  man,  child,  and  don't  you 
ever  forget  that." 

"I  weep  for  him,"  I  made  her  an  answer  as  I 
lifted  the  white  sunbonnet  from  my  head  and 
buried  my  eyes  in  the  neck  of  my  little  human 
who  is  in  fast  repose. 

"Well,  it's  too  late  now  for  you  to  cry  after 
him,  rosebud,  so  put  down  that  child  and  let's 
get  to  shelling  those  beans.  Hunger  will  look 
out  of  the  pot  and  grin  at  us  before  they  are 
done,  I  am  afraid." 

"Where  is  it  that  you  think  kind  Meester 
Bob  is  gone  and  not  saying  a  word  to  me  what 
to  do,  beloved  Granny  White?"  I  made  a  de- 

136 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

mand  of  her  after  I  have  assisted  in  taking 
aloose  from  the  shells  many  millions  of  those 
butter-beans  and  can  no  longer  refrain  from  such 
a  question.  That  kind  Meester  Bob  had  left 
me  without  one  look  at  me  and  ridden  away 
with  my  wicked  uncle  and  the  poor,  nice  Louis 
Augustus.  I  have  a  very  greatness  of  puzzle 
and  a  small  hurt  that  he  has  not  given  to  me 
just  one  smile  that  should  say: 

"Honey  lady,  I  will  come  back  for  you." 
"Women  waste  about  half  their  time  specu- 
lating about  the  return  of  man,"  said  that  nice 
Granny  White,  "and  learn  early,  child,  that  it 
will  always  happen  when  you  don't  expect  it. 
Bob  will  have  to  ride  ten  miles  into  Bolivar  to 
put  the  party  on  the  train,  and  it  will  be  near 
sundown  when  the  cars  come  along  for  the 
North.  He  can't  get  back  here  until  into  the 
night,  and  if  he  has  good  sense,  which  I  doubt, 
he  will  stay  in  Bolivar  for  his  night's  rest  and 
come  out  to  see  us  all  in  the  morning.  How- 
ever, I'll  set  up  half  a  chicken,  a  few  corn-pones, 
and  a  whole  pie,  you  are  going  to  make  at  sup- 
per-time, on  a  shelf  in  the  pantry  in  case  he 
proves  himself  as  foolish  as  I  take  him  to  be. 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

This  is  the  full  of  the  moon,  and  men  don't 
always  act  with  brains  at  such  times.  Now  all 
the  beans  are  finished  and  into  the  pot  they  go, 
while  you  run  out  with  this  pan  of  scraps  for  a 
noon  compliment  to  your  friends  who  are  setting 
on  their  eggs  so  peacefully  to-day." 

"You  are  so  greatly  beloved  of  me,  my 
Granny  White,"  I  did  remark  to  her,  with  one 
minute  of  my  head  on  that  white  kerchief  of 
such  fragrance. 

"Compliments  to  old  folks  are  mighty  near  as 
sweet  as  the  whole  jug  of  molasses,  child,"  she 
did  make  answer  to  me  with  a  nice  kiss  upon  my 
cheek  as  I  departed  with  the  repast  for  those 
chickens  of  now  such  good  conduct. 

And  while  going  in  the  direction  of  that  build- 
ing, which  I  now  know  to  call  a  barn,  I  was 
joined  by  small  Bill,  who  was  then  of  much 
business  in  giving  water  to  the  little  cows  and 
also  to  the  mother  of  three  little  dogs  that 
hold  such  a  greatness  of  interest  to  me  that  I 
did  remain  in  his  company. 

"You  and  me  and  maw  and  that  baby  have 
got  to  stay  with  Granny  maybe  more  than  two 
months  while  dad  gets  some  money  to  build 

138 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

us  another  house.  'Money  don't  grow  on 
trees,'  he  says.  I  don't  care,  because  I  like  this 
house  the  best,  but  maw  cried  about  it,"  that 
small  Bill  did  make  remark  to  me,  with  much 
seriousness,  while  kindly  arranging  food  for  the 
dog  mother. 

"My  jewels — they  must  rest  in  my  bag  which 
kind  Meester  Bob  did  bring  for  me!"  I  made  ex- 
clamation with  such  a  suddenness  that  I  caused 
small  Bill  to  spill  a  part  of  the  cool  water  from 
the  pan  for  that  dog  mother.  "We  can  find 
much  gold  also  for  the  building  of  the  house  of 
sweet  Mamie.  I  will  go  and  give  it  to  her  that 
she  shall  not  weep,"  I  excused  myself  to  him 
and  departed  from  him  with  a  greatness  of  haste. 

But  the  beautiful  eagerness  in  my  heart  must 
be  stilled  for  a  space  of  time  yet,  for  upon  my 
arrival  at  the  house  of  beloved  Granny  White  I 
find  that  upon  the  table  is  a  beautiful  repast  for 
which  small  Bill  must  be  summoned  to  make  a 
bath  of  his  hands  and  face  beside  me  in  that 
large  pan  of  tin  with  water  and  the  clean  cloth. 
Thereupon  we  did  shine  with  a  great  radiance 
of  cleanliness  and  consumed  much  good  food 
with  that  fine  pone  bread  in  many  large  pieces. 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

After  the  toilet  to  the  dishes  of  a  great  blue 
prettiness,  my  beloved  Granny  White  came  to 
the  bedside  of  that  sweet  Mamie  with  the  sewing 
of  a  small  garment  for  the  little  human  in  her 
hands  and  did  seat  herself  in  a  chair  that  is  of  a 
sufficient  wideness  and  strength,  which  is  always 
reserved  to  her.  Mamie  had  made  a  fine 
dinner  from  the  plate  brought  to  her,  and  the 
little  human  is  now  at  repast,  so  that  all  is  in 
peace  at  about  the  center  of  the  afternoon. 

"It  is  a  fine  time  in  which  to  give  to  that 
sweet  Mamie  the  gold  and  jewels  for  the  new 
small  house,  Celeste,  who  is  now  called  the 
Lady  of  Honey,"  I  made  remark  to  myself  as 
I  went  into  my  little  room  of  the  roses  and  the 
small  white  bed.  And  in  that  leather  bag, 
which  has  so  much  adventured  in  that  big 
Harpeth  Vallley  forest  of  that  kind  Meester 
Bob,  I  made  discovery  of  the  canvas  case  in 
which  are  tightly  bound  all  of  the  jewels  of 
Krymn,  which  I  also  believe  that  wicked  uncle 
Dyreck  suspects  of  being  in  a  bank  in  London, 
England. 


THE  JEWELS   OF  KRYMN 

I  UNWOUND  the  wrappings,  with  first  break- 
ing of  a  large  seal,  and  discover  that  the 
great  emeralds  have  been  removed  from  the 
tiara  of  my  beautiful  mother,  for  wearing  at 
court,  and  are  unset  in  a  manner  that  prevents 
wearing,  as  are  also  the  rubies  of  Berseck  and 
the  white  diamond  necklace  of  Krymn.  I 
found  myself  in  a  greatness  of  disappointment, 
for  I  had  thought  to  please  Mamie  with  the 
gift  of  perhaps  a  bracelet  and  also  that  beloved 
Granny  White  with  perhaps  a  brooch  of  dia- 
monds or  emeralds.  But  all  are  now  separated 
and  apart  from  all  setting,  with  only  a  writing 
on  each  bag  to  say  how  much  is  the  value  of 
each  collection.  On  a  separate  piece  of  paper 
is  the  sum  of  the  whole  which  I  now  remark 
to  be  more  than  five  million  francs. 

"That  is  much  money  in  Belgium,  but  not  in 

10  141 


OUT   OF   A    CLEAR    SKY 

America,  I  think,"  I  made  remark  to  myself  as 
I  took  with  me  the  bag  and  also  one  of  gold  coin 
that  had  made  very  heavy  the  satchel  for  kind 
Meester  Bob  to  bring  on  that  Goodboy  horse 
who  is  of  such  a  strongness.  Then  I  returned 
into  the  presence  of  beloved  Granny  White  and 
that  sweet  Mamie. 

"Behold,  sweet  Madame  Mamie,  here  is 
much  money  that  will  make  it  possible  to  buy 
one  other  small  house  of  perhaps  more  beauty 
than  the  one  which  is  exploded  by  lightning 
and  dynamite,  though  perhaps  not  so  polite 
another  red  swine,"  I  made  remark  as  I  poured 
out  my  jewels  and  gold  all  upon  the  very  white 
covering  of  the  bed.  It  is  almost  that  I  made 
an  accident  of  one  very  large  ruby  coming  upon 
the  head  of  my  beautiful  little  human. 

"Good  gracious!  child,  where  did  all  that 
come  from?"  made  exclamation  that  beloved 
Granny  White,  but  with  a  continuation  of  her 
sewing. 

"Oh,  how  lovely!"  that  sweet  Mamie  did 
make  outcry  as  she  took  into  her  fingers  some 
diamonds  and  emeralds. 

"They  are  the  jewels  of  my  beautiful  mother 
142 


OUT   OF    A   CLEAR   SKY 

and  also  of  all  the  ladies  of  Berseck  and  Krymn 
now  dead,"  I  made  answer.  "I  grieve  that 
they  are  not  in  tiaras  and  necklaces  and  in 
brooches  and  bracelets  that  I  may  make  gifts 
to  you,  sweet  Mamie  and  my  beloved  Granny 
White,  but  I  can  have  them  set  thereto.  But 
in  them  is  also  much  money,  more  than  five 
million  francs  this  paper  remarks,  and  with  it 
we  can  buy  the  house  for  Mamie  and  much  lace 
for  my  little  human,  maybe,  beside."  As  I 
made  a  finish  of  speaking,  I  lifted  in  my  arms 
the  little  human  from  the  finish  of  his  repast  and 
put  my  lips  upon  the  exquisite  softness  of  his 
cheek. 

"Five  million  dollars,  child?"  then  demanded 
that  beloved  Granny  White,  making  a  short 
pause  with  her  needle  as  she  regarded  me  over 
the  top  of  the  glasses  upon  her  eyes. 

' '  No,  see  it  is  francs  the  paper  writes,  and  in 
one  American  dollar  are  five  francs,  so  it  is  not 
a  great  fortune,"  I  made  answer,  giving  the 
paper  to  her  with  the  hand  that  is  not  in  em- 
brace of  the  little  human  upon  my  shoulder. 

"No,  only  about  a  million  dollars  at  this 
calculation  of  five  to  one,  and  the  Lord  help 
143 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

you,  child,  with  such  a  burden!"  made  answer 
to  me  beloved  Granny  White  after  she  had  re- 
garded the  paper  upon  which  is  the  count  of  the 
jewels  with  much  interest. 

"A  million  dollars!"  that  good,  sweet  Mamie 
made  a  repetition  of  the  announcement  of  be- 
loved Granny  White. 

And  thereupon  a  very  strange  thing  did  hap- 
pen. My  beloved  Granny  White  did  begin  to 
laugh  with  such  a  great  heartiness  of  joy  that 
under  Mamie's  direction  I  must  make  blows 
upon  her  back  with  my  fist  for  her  return  of 
breath. 

"And  to  think  of  that  million  dollars  being 
right  here  in  my  lean-to  under  the  very  beak 
of  that  old  gentleman  bird,  while  he's  expecting 
to  find  it  safe  for  him  to  get  out  of  the  London 
bank  by  use  of  that  writing  of  your  death  with 
the  name  of  Mary  White  to  it!  I'm  going  to 
laugh  again — and  pat  me  hard  if  I  don't  come 
out  right  away,  child."  And  thereupon  my 
beloved  Granny  made  another  so  great  laugh 
that  I  was  forced  once  more  to  restore  her  with 
blows. 

"And  I'll  also  wager  that  Bob  Lawrence  is  at 
144 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

this  moment  hugging  to  his  heart  the  idea  of 
rescuing  a  destitute  little  princess  and  buying 
her  frills  for  her  until  death.  Here,  pat  me 
again,  child!"  And  it  is  a  third  time  that  I 
have  to  make  rescue  of  my  beloved  Granny 
White,  while  Mamie  is  also  laughing  so  that  my 
little  human,  whom  I  had  been  forced  to  restore 
to  her  by  my  ministrations  to  beloved  Granny 
White,  made  a  very  sweet  little  plaint. 

' '  I  had  not  thought  to  speak  to  that  Meester 
Bob  of  the  jewels  while  I  am  so  unhappily  hunted. 
I  will  make  confession  to  him  when  he  is  re- 
turned," I  made  remark  as  I  again  reclaimed 
my  little  human  from  that  sweet  Mamie. 

"Child,  promise  to  let  me  break  that  bag  of 
pretty  rocks  to  Bob  Lawrence  like  he  was  want- 
ing to  break  that  baby  there  of  disrespectful 
Mamie  to  me.  Don't  tell  or  show  him  when 
I'm  not  present.  No,  I'm  not  going  to  laugh 
again,  for  I  want  to  finish  this  nightgown  for 
the  baby  before  dark,  and  look  how  the  sun  is 
sneaking  away."  And  again  beloved  Granny 
White  made  stitches  with  a  great  rapidness. 

"And  it  is  then  that  in  America  I  can  buy 
that  little  house  for  Mamie  and  my  little  human, 


OUT   OF   A    CLEAR    SKY 

as  well  as  that  small  Bill  and  his  father,  with 
this  much  money?"  I  again  asked,  for  I  did  not 
entirely  understand  all  the  words  that  made 
for  such  a  greatness  of  mirth  in  that  beloved 
Granny  White. 

"Bless  your  beautiful  heart,  when  the  time 
comes  you  can  buy  what  pleases  you,  and  I 
reckon  Mamie  can  put  up  with  a  house  that 
costs  much  less  than  a  million  dollars,  as  she's 
been  living  in  three  rooms  and  a  lean-to.  Also 
you  shall  stay  right  here  as  long  as  you  are 
happy,  and  I  reckon  your  Granny  can  defend 
you  from  a  lot  of  million-dollar  miseries  as  long 
as  you  need  her,"  made  reply  beloved  Granny 
White  to  me  in  my  anxiety  about  the  abode  of 
that  sweet  Mamie. 

"But  what  about  that  pie  that  has  got  to  be 
made  for  Bob  Lawrence  before  the  sun  sets?" 
made  demand  of  me  beloved  Granny  White  as 
she  achieved  a  finish  for  the  garment  for  the 
little  human  and  folded  it  to  put  beside  the 
others  belonging  to  him  in  a  chest  of  drawers 
by  the  window.  "Put  away  those  beautiful 
rocks  and  come  let's  get  the  night  work  done 
before  twilight  prayer." 

146 


OUT   OF    A    CLEAR    SKY 

"I  come,"  I  made  joyful  answer. 

And  it  was  with  a  greatness  of  activity  in 
many  duties  the  hours  which  followed  were 
spent. 

"Celeste,  yesterday  you  did  give  to  yourself 
one  day  in  which  to  be  that  nice  housekeeping 
girl  with  vegetables  and  pickles  and  pie,  and 
now  behold  you  begin  a  long  life  thereof,"  I 
made  remark  to  myself  while  I  put  the  eggs, 
which  I  had  beaten  to  a  great  lightness  after  a 
triumphant  separation  of  white  and  of  yellow 
at  breaking,  into  that  custard  pie  for  my  kind 
Meester  Bob. 

Then  after  a  large  quantity  of  work  the  sun 
did  come  to  its  setting,  and  all  in  the  house  of 
beloved  Granny  White  did  seat  themselves  for 
rest  and  prayer,  as  had  been  done  the  night 
that  came  before.  It  was  with  great  pleasure 
that  I  put  night  apparel  upon  my  little  human 
and  made  wholly  clean  that  small  Bill  for  the 
little  white  bed  that  is  beside  sweet  Mamie 
mother  for  him. 

"If  anything  skeers  you  in  the  dark  again  call 
me  to  kill  it,  girl,"  he  said  to  me  with  a  great 
comfort  in  his  voice  that  also  had  such  a  great- 
147 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

ness  of  sleep  in  it  that  I  did  dare  to  put  one 
kiss  upon  the  yellow  head  of  that  small  Bill, 
which  he  did  immediately  brush  from  his  locks, 
though  near  into  a  depth  of  sleep. 

And  then  when  approached  the  time  for  the 
retirement  of  my  beloved  Granny  White,  with 
her  very  large  cap  upon  her  head  and  a  candle 
lighted  beside  her  bed,  I  did  beg  of  her  that  I 
might  stay  in  my  dress  by  the  window  to  enjoy 
the  greatness  of  the  beauty  of  the  moon. 

' '  Don't  forget  the  supper  on  the  pantry  shelf, 
if  he  comes,  child,"  she  admonished  me  upon 
retirement.  "Soft  moonshine  doesn't  take  the 
place  of  corn-pone  and  chicken  with  a  hungry 
man.  Good  night !" 


XI 

THE  PIPES   OF   LOVE 

THEN,  when  all  is  quiet  in  that  nice  house 
of  beloved  Granny  White,  I  am  alone  in 
the  silver  light  of  the  moon  under  the  sweetness 
of  the  vine  upon  the  front  door  and  for  long 
minutes  I  can  think  of  all  the  things  of  great 
wonder  that  had  befallen  me  that  day.  A  very 
small  breeze  is  coming  down  that  Providence 
Road  that  is  of  the  softness  of  summer,  while 
in  it  is  the  perfume  from  many  harvests  in 
the  field  of  beloved  Granny  White,  which  the 
black  men  have  made  into  little  piles  that  day. 
Also  there  is  the  scent  of  the  ripe  apples  in  the 
orchard,  which  that  small  Bill  had  collected  in 
many  baskets  for  the  pressing  of  sweet  wine 
therefrom  by  another  of  the  black  men,  mingled 
with  that  of  the  harvest  and  of  the  vine.  And 
very  large  tears  arise  from  that  lake  in  my  heart 
149 


OUT   OF   A    CLEAR    SKY 

when  I  think  that  all  of  my  beautiful  Belgium 
is  in  hunger,  and  I  did  long  that  I  might  send 
some  of  each  of  these  foods  in  a  large  ship  to 
their  feeding. 

"You  can  buy  the  food,  Celeste,  with  the 
jewels  after  is  purchased  that  house  for  good 
Mamie,  and  so  send  back  to  Belgium  the  jewels 
of  the  ladies  of  Berseck  and  Krymn  which  are 
transmuted  into  food  for  the  little  children  of 
their  country.  Is  it  not  that  the  good  God  has 
led  you  into  these  'green  pastures'  and  beside 
these  'still  waters'  that  you  may  so  comfort 
your  own  people?"  I  made  demand  of  myself, 
while  during  all  of  the  time  that  passes  with 
such  a  slowness  I  am  listening  to  see  if  I  can 
hear  the  quick  steps  of  that  fine  horse  Good- 
boy. 

Then  I  heard  something! 

"Is  it  that  Goodboy  horse?"  I  questioned  my- 
self, with  a  greatness  of  attention. 

No,  it  cannot  be,  for  it  is  slow  and  conies  with 
a  great  heaviness,  but  in  a  few  minutes,  behold ! 
I  see  in  the  silver  moonshine  that  it  is  that  fine 
Goodboy  horse  with  that  Shep  dog  running  very 
far  behind  with  a  lameness  of  his  feet. 

150 


OUT   OF    A    CLEAR    SKY 

And  then  a  very  strangeness  of  fear  did  come 
upon  me  of  my  kind  Meester  Bob,  and  made  me 
to  hide  myself  deep  in  the  vines  while  he  went 
with  that  Goodboy  horse  into  the  barn  after 
having  given  to  him  a  long  drinking  beside  the 
door.  I  listened  very  closely  and  did  hear  him 
make  a  supper  for  the  fatigue  of  his  horse  before 
he  had  even  given  to  himself  a  drink  of  water 
at  the  well  near  by. 

"Go  quickly,  Celeste  de  Krymn,  to  give  food 
and  drink  to  that  good  and  fatigued  man  even 
as  he  has  done  to  the  horse  Goodboy,"  I  made 
remark  to  myself  as  I  went  with  a  great  rapidity 
through  that  house  and  on  to  the  back  porch 
which  is  also  covered  with  a  great  sweetness  of 
vine. 

And  as  I  came  forth  from  the  doorway  into 
the  silver  of  the  moon  and  the  fragrance  of  the 
breeze  of  the  night,  behold,  I  am  standing  before 
that  kind  Meester  Bob,  looking  down  into  the 
great  beauty  of  his  eyes  while  he  is  looking  up 
into  mine. 

"Dear?"  he  at  last  asked  question  of  me 
after  long  minutes  of  time,  and  as  he  spoke 
that  one  word,  which  I  do  so  love,  he  held  out 


OUT   OF    A    CLEAR    SKY 

to  me  the  strength  of  those  arms  which  had 
given  me  shelter  in  forest  and  in  storm,  but  never 
an  embrace  before. 

And  into  those  arms  of  the  greatness  of  love 
I  made  entry. 

"You  gift  of  God  to  me  out  of  a  clear  sky," 
he  made  a  whispering  to  me  from  the  stillness 
of  his  heart  as  I  pressed  me  closer  into  those 
arms. 

"Is  it  that  you  do  want  to  keep  forever  by 
you  this  poor  Belgium  girl?"  I  made  demand  of 
him. 

"I  kiss  your  hands  in  fealty,  your  hair  in 
reverence,  your  eyes  in  adoration,  and  your 
lips — your  lips,  Celeste,  in — love,"  he  made 
answer  to  me  as  he  did  those  things  to  me  in  a 
great  slowness  of  tenderness,  while  the  silver 
moon  and  the  night  wind  did  wrap  about  us  a 
soft  garment  of  perfumed  radiance. 

"Is  it  that  love  which  you  have  said  'pipes' 
in  a  forest?"  I  made  demand  of  him  against  his 
ear  with  my  lips  in  kissing. 

"Across  half  the  world  it  calls  and  must  be 
answered,  darling.  Didn't  you  hear  it  over 
there  amid  the  tumult  of  war?" 

152 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR   SKY 

"I  think  it  is  perhaps  my  good,  kind  Mees 
Jane  that  did  hear  those  'pipes,'"  I  made  re- 
sponse to  him  with  a  deepness  of  considera- 
tion. 

"No,  my  Lady  of  Honey,  it  was  not  your  kind 
Miss  Jane  that  heard  love-pipes,  thanks  be!" 
answered  that  Meester  Bob,  with  a  laugh  for 
which  I  had  fear  I  might  be  forced  to  give 
him  blows  as  I  had  done  to  beloved  Granny 
White,  but  with  a  great  suddenness  he  is  sad 
again. 

"Child,"  he  said  to  me,  holding  me  in  the 
strength  of  his  arms,  but  also  with  the  great 
tenderness,  "it  is  true  that  from  sadness  and 
sorrow  you  have  come  to  me  and  have  crept 
into  the  very  recesses  of  my  heart  that  I  thank 
God  I  have  kept  empty  all  these  years  to  receive 
you,  but  I  am  not  going  to  take  you  to  wife 
without  all  the  due  formalities  from  the  good 
woman  who  snatched  you  as  a  brand  from  the 
burning,  whether  she  acted  wisely  or  not.  You 
shall  stay  right  here  with  Granny  until  we 
find  her  to  come  to  you  and  then — then — do 
you  think  you  will  love  me  enough  after  you 
have  had  time  to  learn?" 


OUT   OF   A    CLEAR    SKY 

"Oh!  and  also  learn  to  be  that  'housekeep- 
ing girl'  for  you  so  that  there  may  always  be 
the  pickle  and  the  preserve  and  the  vegetable, 
that  beloved  Granny  White  made  mention  of, 
in  your  large  home,"  I  made  reply  to  him 
with  a  great  eagerness.  Then  for  a  short 
minute  I  made  a  pause  with  a  greatness  of 
distress. 

"Please,  Meester  Bob,  make  a  pardon  for 
me  that  I  have  given  to  you  many  embraces 
and  not  the  chicken  and  that  good  pone  bread 
and  pie  of  my  making.  I  have  acted  in  the 
manner  which  that  beloved  Granny  White  has 
said  to  be  bad  for  a  man  with  hunger.  Please 
come  to  that  kitchen  for  a  supper  from  me!" 
And  with  a  laugh  he  came  with  me  for  me  to 
serve  him. 

"Honey  bunch,"  he  did  say  to  me  after  I 
have  set  all  forth  with  a  greatness  of  pride 
in  the  beauty  of  that  pie,  "I  suppose  I'll 
have  to  admit  that  it  is  best  for  that  poor 
prince  chap  that  you  sat  back  in  that  white 
sunbonnet  and  let  him  pass  along,  because  I 
detect  domestic  traits  in  you  that  might  have 
cropped  out  to  the  confusion  of  your  career  as 


OUT   OF   A   CLEAR    SKY 

a  princess.  I  don't  know  what  will  come  to  us 
in  the  years  from  this  beautiful  adventure,  but 
you  are,  you  are  the  gift  of  God  to  me  which 
no  man  can  take  from  me."  And  right  in  the 
front  of  that  pie  of  such  beauty  again  that  kind 
Meester  Bob  did  take  me  into  his  kind  arms. 

For  much  more  than  an  hour  of  beautiful 
and  short  minutes  my  Meester  Bob  sat  upon 
the  steps  of  the  porch  under  the  sweet  vine 
beside  me  and  explained  much  about  love  to 
me  with  laughter  and  the  tenderness  of  a  gentle 
embrace. 

"Now  you  must  go  to  bed  or  we'll  have  a 
hurricane  in  the  form  of  your  Granny  White 
descend  upon  us,  honey  lady,"  he  said  as  he 
lifted  me  to  my  feet  and  stood  on  the  step  below 
me.  "Good  night,  you,  God's  blessing  to  Bob 
Lawrence!" 

Then  I  gave  unto  myself  a  great  happiness 
the  like  of  which  I  did  not  know  could  come 
into  the  life  of  a  person  and  which  made  me  to 
experience  the  woman  of  me  unfold  from  the 
child  he  had  found  lost  in  the  forest.  I  reached 
forth  my  bare  arms  and  took  his  very  weary 
head  upon  my  breast  for  a  short  little  second 


OUT   OF    A   CLEAR    SKY 

where, I  had  learned  to  cradle  that  of  my  small 
human. 

"That  'Kindly  Light'  did  lead  me,"  I  whis- 
pered, then  fled  from  him  under  the  sweetness 
of  the  vine. 


THE   END 


000132278     3 


